YouTube Accepts Australia's Landmark Social Media Age Ban

YouTube has agreed to follow Australia's new law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts. This decision means all major platforms popular with young people will now comply with the rule, after initially opposing it. The Australian government created what it calls a world-first law to protect children online. It requires social media companies to get parental consent for users under 16 or delete their accounts. Google, YouTube's parent company, first argued the platform should be exempt. It said YouTube is primarily for watching videos and education, not social networking. After rival companies complained, the government expanded the law's scope to include YouTube. "We will comply with the law," a YouTube spokesperson said. The company's agreement marks the end of significant industry resistance to the Australian policy.