Google Warns Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban ‘Unworkable and Risky’

The Google logo on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas on Jan. 10, 2024. Steve Marcus/Reuters

Google has poured cold water on the Albanese government’s social media ban for under-16s, warning that it would be “extremely difficult to enforce” and could end up making children less safe online.

Appearing alongside Microsoft before a Senate inquiry on age verification and digital safety, Google executives argued that the plan—expected to include YouTube—would strip away existing protections built into its platforms and remove vital parental controls.