Teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 will be banned from creating YouTube accounts in a major policy backflip by the Albanese government as it prepares to implement a world-first higher minimum age to access social media platforms.

The reversal, which was first reported by The Australian Financial Review last month, came after advice from eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who found YouTube was the most widely used platform for young teens and the most likely place for them to encounter harmful material.