India, July 30 -- In a world-first move, the Australian government has announced a sweeping social media ban for children under 16, and YouTube is now on the list. "YouTube is not social media," claimed the platform in a statement earlier this week. But Australia isn't buying it. After weeks of pushback from tech giants like Meta and Snapchat, who claim that YouTube functions similarly to their own platforms with algorithmic feeds, interactive tools, and comment sections, YouTube joins a growing list of popular social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat) which have all been banned for users under 16, beginning December.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also released a statement saying, "Protecting kids online means t...