Father of teen suicide victim demands YouTube join social media ban

A grieving father says YouTube must be included in the Australian government’s pioneering under-16 social media ban.

• List: Teen faces of tragedy

The father of a boy who used YouTube to research self-harm before taking his own life says the platform must be included in the country’s pioneering under-16 social media ban despite parent company Google threatening to sue the federal government.

In a letter sent to Communications Minister Anika Wells on Thursday and revealed by The Sunday Mail, Google said it was considering its legal position and could sue the government on constitutional grounds if YouTube was included in the world-first ban.

Wayne Holdsworth’s 16-year-old son Mac took his own life in 2023 after being sexually extorted on Instagram. He used YouTube to research how to take his life.

Mr Holdsworth says the government should not spare YouTube and must continue to be laser-focused on supporting and saving our children.

“My boy Mac used YouTube to google how to take his life... if he hadn’t had that opportunity, he may not have had the knowledge to do what he did. Google should definitely be included in the list,” he said.

He said he had told Attorney-General Michelle Rowland the same thing two weeks ago when she visited him.

Mr Holdsworth said Google’s suggestion the ban was unconstitutional was an “absolute joke”.

Wayne Holdsworth with a picture of himself and son Mac. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“We need to show these tech giants that we are in control of social media, and that they are not in control of us,” he said.

Under the legislation passed by the Parliament late last year, social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook are captured by the ban, due to take effect in December.

YouTube was initially exempted on the basis it contained educational content, but the minister is considering including it after a recommendation from the eSafety Commissioner – based on findings that four in 10 children had been exposed to harmful content on the video platform.

Google said including it would be an “abrupt policy reversal” and urged the government to “uphold the integrity of the legislative process”.

The company said it was considering whether a ban on YouTube restricted the implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

“Our position has always been clear: YouTube is a video-sharing platform, not a social media service, that offers benefit and value to younger Australians,” a YouTube spokesperson said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday indicated his government was prepared to stare down Google’s threat to sue, acknowledging it had a responsibility to hold tech giants to account.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering including YouTube in the ban. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

He said while the final decision on YouTube had not yet been made, his minister would make it independent of any of those threats made by the social media companies.

“Social media has a social responsibility,” he said.

“There is no doubt that young people are being impacted adversely in their mental health by some of the engagement with social media and that is why the government has acted.

“One of the things that concerns some of the social media companies is that we are leading the world (on this ban), and I’m proud that we’re prepared to stand up to these people, effectively from their threats.”

Mr Albanese said he would again meet this week with parents “who’ve been through tragedy” caused by social media.

Google will also host its annual showcase at Parliament House on Wednesday night.

Mr Holdsworth is not travelling to Canberra this week, but said he and parents like him wanted the government to remain steadfast.

“We’ve got to teach the tech giants that we are in control ... we shouldn’t give one inch,” he said.

“We, as parents, have had enough.”

Originally published as Father of teen suicide victim demands YouTube join social media ban