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Labor minister Anika Wells refuses to release research behind eSafety's radical push to ban YouTube for young teens
Labor minister Anika Wells refuses to release research behind eSafety's radical push to ban YouTube for young teens

Sky News AU

time08-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Sky News AU

Labor minister Anika Wells refuses to release research behind eSafety's radical push to ban YouTube for young teens

understands that Ms Wells will not release the research because the eSafety regulator does not want it published yet. The lack of transparency means that stakeholders and the public have no idea why Labor is considering banning 15-year-olds from one of the most fundamental, and most visited, platforms on the internet. The eSafety regulator has repeatedly blocked attempts by to access the research, instead opting to drip feed highlights of the data to the public over the coming months, even though Labor's decision is expected in weeks. is challenging this refusal through Freedom of Information laws. It comes amid growing transparency concerns over the conduct of Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and Ms Wells. "The minister is taking time to consider the eSafety Commissioner's advice," a spokesperson for Ms Wells told "The minister has been fully briefed by the eSafety Commissioner including the research methodology behind her advice." The eSafety Commissioner's own methodology report outlines significant limitations in the data used in the recommendation, including bias and misreporting concerns. The "Keeping Kids Safe Online: Methodology" report concedes the data was based entirely on self-reported responses collected at a single point in time. The report highlights that the survey used 'non-probability-based sampling' from online panels, admitting these 'are convenience samples'. The results therefor 'may be subject to a range of biases' compared to more robust, random sampling methods. 'Participants may answer survey items in a manner they think is socially desirable or acceptable, as opposed to providing a true reflection of their attitudes or experiences,' the report said. It adds that one in five children had parental assistance in completing the survey, further risking skewed or filtered responses. Despite these limitations, Ms Wells is weighing whether to reverse the Albanese government's previously stated position for a YouTube exemption from the ban. Former communications minister Michelle Rowland exempted YouTube from the ban on social media for under-16s, and it was endorsed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The exemption has since been called back into review by Ms Inman Grant, despite her unwillingness to share the research underpinning a possible YouTube ban. The social media ban will take effect in December 2025 covering platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat. Shannon Jones, creator of the globally popular children's YouTube channel Bounce Patrol, has expressed renewed concern about the possible government backflip. 'I reached out to them last year when they were first considering it and had some conversations then,' she told 'This time around I've sent communications to the minister but haven't heard back because everything is just being done so fast... It's getting so rushed through. 'It's all being considered and decided in the space of a week it feels like... All of the consultation that was done with stakeholders last year is not getting repeated. 'It seems like there hasn't been much conversation with stakeholders this time to learn all those nuances so that's been really disappointing as well.' A decision by the Albanese government on whether to implement the YouTube ban is expected in the coming weeks.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sits on research underpinning demands for YouTube ban under social media laws
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sits on research underpinning demands for YouTube ban under social media laws

Sky News AU

time30-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Sky News AU

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sits on research underpinning demands for YouTube ban under social media laws

The powerful bureaucrat lobbying for Labor to ban kids from YouTube has refused to hand over research she claims underpins her recommendation. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant recently argued that children should be banned from the video streaming platform in her speech to the National Press Club. Ms Inman Grant claimed she had written to Communications Minister Anika Wells encouraging children be banned from YouTube because of the evidence. 'I don't make determinations or write recommendations to the minister based on whether I keep the public onside, I follow the evidence,' she said last Tuesday. However, can reveal that Ms Inman Grant is refusing to publicly release the full research. Ms Inman Grant and her office have also refused to send the research to YouTube, leaving the streaming platform unable to fact-check or dispute claims which have been sent to the minister. If Ms Inman Grant's lobbying is successful, YouTube will be restricted by sweeping new legislative changes without having an opportunity to provide a counter argument. A decision is expected to be made by Labor in the coming weeks. An eSafety spokesperson claimed that they had 'responded' to stakeholder requests but acknowledged they have not published the full findings from their research. When asked to provide the research in the interest of transparency, the regulator declined, and instead said the findings would be drip fed to the public in 'stages'. 'The data referenced in the Commissioner's National Press Club speech last week represented a subset of a broader study,' the spokesperson said. 'eSafety is publishing the results of this research in stages as part of its Keeping Kids Safe Online series.' The office of the Communication Minister told that Ms Wells was 'carefully considering' the advice and would consult with stakeholders. Ms Inman Grant's lobbying efforts put her at odds with the Albanese government, which previously ruled that YouTube would not be captured by the ban. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed in November, 2024, that YouTube would be exempted from the ban given its 'education and health support' content. The government's own research at the time found parents believed YouTube was suitable for young people. According to those findings, 85 per cent of children and around 70 per cent of parents considered YouTube appropriate for those aged 15 and under. YouTube, which has previously warned that including the platform in the ban would jeopardise access to children's content, has hit back at Ms Inman Grant's claims. Rachel Lord, Public Policy Manager for YouTube Australia & New Zealand said YouTube's exemption was grounded in extensive research. 'Today's position from the eSafety Commissioner represents inconsistent and contradictory advice,' Ms Lord said on Tuesday. 'We urge the government to follow through on the public commitment it made to ensure young Australians can continue to access enriching content on YouTube.' Children's entertainers, including The Wiggles and Bounce Patrol, have also previously lobbied against YouTube's inclusion in the ban. The beloved children's entertainers argued it would limit safe content for families and harm the future of local kids' programming. The office of the Communications Minister said that Ms Wells' priority was to protect children. 'The minister's top priority is making sure the draft rules fulfil the objective of the act and protect children from the harms of social media,' Ms Wells' spokesperson said. 'The law places the onus on social media platforms – not parents or young people – to take reasonable steps to ensure protections are in place. 'The Albanese government knows our world-leading social media delay will not be a cure-all for the harms experienced by young people online but is an unprecedented step in the right direction.' The social media ban for under 16s will come into effect from December, 2025.

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