Australia Expands Social Media Ban to YouTube, Sparking Controversy

Australia has included YouTube in its social media ban for teenagers, reversing a previous exemption. The decision may lead to legal challenges, as YouTube argues it's a video-sharing platform, not social media. This move intensifies tensions between Australia and Alphabet, YouTube's parent company.

In a dramatic policy reversal, Australia announced on Wednesday its decision to include YouTube in the groundbreaking ban on social media usage for teenagers, overturning a prior exemption for the widely-used site owned by Alphabet.

The move follows pressure from the country's internet regulator, highlighting a survey citing harmful content exposure among 37% of minors.

This action brings Australia into potential legal conflict with Alphabet, and echoes previous tensions when Google threatened to restrict services over content payment laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)