Photo: Rebecca Lintz | Pixabay
Six cybersecurity and extremism sports have raised about the Australian government’s decision to exempt YouTube from its new social media restrictions for minors. They argue that the platform’s algorithm promotes harmful content, including far-right extremism, misogyny, and conspiracy theories, making it just as dangerous as the sites that will be restricted under the new legislation.
The Australian government has sparked controversy by exempting YouTube from its new social media restrictions for minors, despite concerns from experts about the platform’s role in spreading harmful and extremist content.
While platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X will be required to implement strict age restrictions by the end of 2025, YouTube remains freely accessible to children under 16, with officials justifying the decision based on its perceived educational value.
Critics argue that this exemption undermines the very purpose of the legislation, which is among the world’s strictest in regulating minors’ access to social media. Experts claim that YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, which they claim amplifies harmful content, including far-right extremism, misogyny and conspiracy theories.

Lisa Waldek, a lecturer in Macquarie University’s Department of Security Studies and Criminology, told Reuters that YouTube is “deeply problematic” due to its role in spreading extremist content and highly addictive material. Helen Young, a member of the Addressing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation to Terrorism Network echoed this sentiment, stating that YouTube’s algorithm “feeds really far-right material” to young male users.
While acknowledging that all social media platforms face challenges in moderating harmful content, researchers question why the most widely used platforms among teenagers have been spared from restrictions.
YouTube has pushed back against these concerns, emphasising its commitment to promoting quality content and limiting repeated recommendations and potentially harmful videos. A spokesperson for the platform stated that its algorithms prioritise content that encourages respect while also cracking down on problematic material.
Last August, reports surfaced that Google and Meta had formed a secret agreement to target advertising campaigns at teenagers on YouTube in Canada and the United States. The irony is that both companies talk about teenage health and prohibit personalised advertisements to under-18 users.
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