Australia's bold move to ban social media for teens under 16 has sparked a wave of uncertainty and controversy, with content creators facing a potential exodus. The land down under is about to lose its digital stars.
Jordan Barclay, a YouTube sensation and Melbourne native, is considering a move abroad. With a $50 million empire built on gaming content for 23 million subscribers, Barclay is no stranger to success. But the upcoming social media ban has him rethinking his home base.
"We're going to move overseas because that's where the money is going to be," Barclay stated, highlighting the potential financial impact of the ban. His seven YouTube channels, including EYstreem, Chip and Milo, and Firelight, could see a significant drop in revenue if advertisers pull out of Australia.
And it's not just Barclay; the social media industry in Australia, estimated to generate $5.82 billion annually, is bracing for impact. Nine industry participants interviewed by Reuters agreed that the ban could lead to a decline in advertisers and views, with YouTubers potentially hit the hardest.
"If it is one clean sweep and all these accounts disappear, then instantaneously, it's going to be detrimental to the influencer economy," said Susan Grantham, a social media researcher at Griffith University. The law requires companies to block the accounts of over a million people under the age cutoff, with severe penalties for non-compliance.
But here's where it gets controversial: while teens can still watch YouTube without an account, the algorithm won't drive traffic to popular posts, reducing views. Creators on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram stand to lose earnings through promotions if their follower counts drop, Grantham explained.
Advertisers, too, are nervous about targeting younger audiences, according to Stephanie Scicchitano of Born Bred Talent. Barclay's company, Spawnpoint Media, which sells advertising to brands like Lego and Microsoft, has seen a decline in interest in sponsorship deals as the ban looms.
"They're worried about what the ban could mean later... If it expands, if it grows, it makes sense for us to invest overseas and not here," Barclay said, hinting at the potential for a broader impact.
The United States, with its more favorable laws and government support, could be a destination for Barclay and other creators. Some, like the Empire Family, have already made the move to Britain to avoid the restrictions.
And this is the part most people miss: the ban puts at risk the careers of content creators featuring children under 16, such as family vloggers and child influencers. Crystal Abidin, director of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab, noted that these creators may feel immigration is their only option to continue their work.
"Any negative impact on income is going to hurt," said Tina and Mark Harris, whose Lah-Lah YouTube channel boasts 1.4 million subscribers. But their main concern is the potential reputational damage from the government's stance on YouTube's impact on children.
"Parents will get the jitters and stay away from YouTube in droves," Mark Harris said. "Maybe that's hyperbole, we just don't know."
Initially exempted, YouTube was later added to the ban at the urging of Australia's internet regulator. The platform's poor showing in terms of harmful content for minors (37% reported seeing such content) sealed its fate.
"The ban does a disservice to creators of high-quality content for children," said Shannon Jones, who runs Australia's largest YouTube channel, Bounce Patrol, with over 33 million subscribers.
Byron Bay creator Junpei Zaki, with a following of 22 million across TikTok and YouTube, expects a "guaranteed drop" in engagement from Australia due to the ban. "It...does feel like I'm ignoring my Australian audience that helped get me here, because they can't interact," Zaki said.
While Zaki's global reach may cushion the blow, smaller creators with domestic audiences could face a tougher road. Take Dimi Heryxlim, the 15-year-old owner of the House of Lim food stall in Sydney's west. Heryxlim has built a following through vlogs of his after-school kitchen routine, but losing access to his TikTok and Instagram accounts will be a setback.
"If I can't get my account back, I'll just get a new account and start everything from scratch," Heryxlim said, showcasing the resilience of young creators in the face of adversity.
So, what do you think? Is Australia's social media ban a necessary step to protect children, or is it a blow to the creative industry? Share your thoughts in the comments!
