YouTube on Wednesday attacked Australia's looming social media ban for under-16s, denouncing the world-first laws as "rushed" and saying they will make children less safe online.

Australia will from December 10 ban users under the age of 16 from a raft of the world's most popular social media platforms and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

"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."

Video streaming giant YouTube, one of the most-visited websites globally, was originally slated to escape the ban so children could watch educational videos.

But

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