Sydney  –  YouTube on Wednesday attacked Australia’s looming social media ban for under-16s as rushed, but the government called the policy a shield to protect children from “predatory” algorithms. From December 10, Australia will require a raft of major social media platforms and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, to remove underage accounts or face a hefty fine. There is keen interest in whether the sweeping world-first restrictions can work, as regulators around the globe wrestle with the potential harmful effects for young people. US video streaming giant YouTube was originally slated to escape the ban so children could watch educational clips. But the Australian government changed tack in July, saying young users needed to be shielded from “predatory algorithms”. “This law will not fulfil its promise to make kids safer online, and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” the company’s public policy manager Rachel Lord said in a statement. “We’ve heard from parents and educators who share these concerns.” Australian YouTube users under 16 will be automatically signed out on December 10, using the ages linked to their Google accounts, the company said. Underage users could still visit the website without an account, but would lose access to many of YouTube’s features — including “wellbeing settings” and “safety filters”. Lord said the “rushed regulation misunderstands our platform and the way young Australians use it”. “At YouTube, we believe in protecting kids in the digital world, not from the digital world.”