eSAFETY GUIDE
YouTube logo

YouTube

16+
Minimum age for Australians from 10 December 2025
16+ Minimum age for Australians from 10 December 2025

What is YouTube?

YouTube is a user-generated video sharing platform owned by Google. It allows people to discover, watch and share videos. You can create your own channel and subscribe to the channels of other people or organisations. Viewers can rate, comment on and share videos or add them to playlists. Many people use YouTube for video blogging or vlogging. YouTube can also be used to live stream, which is video that is simultaneously broadcast and recorded in real time. YouTube Shorts are short form vertical videos, typically recorded on mobile phones, that last between 15 to 60 seconds. 

Website: youtube.com

Apps: Android app, Apple iOS app

How do people use YouTube?

Learn more about the benefits and risks associated with how people use video sharing services like YouTube.

YouTube is used for: content creation, live streaming, messaging/online chat, photo/video sharing and screen capture.

YouTube Premium, a paid version of YouTube, and YouTube Kids are also available.

Social media age restrictions for under-16s

Google announced that from 10 December 2025, Australians under 16 will no longer have access to their YouTube accounts or be able to create a new account. This includes any supervised pre-teen and teen accounts. This change is in response to the Australian Government's social media age restrictions.

This link is provided by Google:

How can you report abuse or inappropriate content or ask for content to be removed?

These links are provided by YouTube:

How can you protect your personal information?

These links are provided by YouTube:

Key safety and wellbeing links

These links are provided by YouTube:

Related eSafety links

Find out more about the social media age restrictions and access our social media 'ban' or delay FAQ for the facts.

Social media changes are coming

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

Find out more at eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.

About The eSafety Guide

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews or endorsements by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.