How YouTube Works
OUR MISSION
To give everyone a voice and show them the world
We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build communities through our stories.
Explore this site to learn more about how YouTube makes all this happen.
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WHAT'S NEW
For more than a decade, Google and YouTube have launched products, supported programmes and implemented built-in protections that support children and teens on our platforms, while also giving parents the tools and resources to make empowered technology decisions for their families. This Safer Internet Day, we’re sharing the latest updates that support children and teens in the digital world.
As we enter 2026, the lines between creativity and technology are blurring, sparking a new era of innovation. This inflection point requires ambitious bets. YouTube is the undisputed epicentre of culture. Our creators are reinventing entertainment and building the media companies of the future. We continue to be the best place for them to grow a business. YouTube has the scale, community and technological investments to lead the creative industry into this next era.
YouTube is where teens come to watch what they love – everything from brushing up on their studies, to their favourite creators, to buzzworthy podcasts, to epic sports highlights.
Today we shared an update with our users and creators about what to expect from the YouTube experience for under 16s in Australia as a result of the Social Media Minimum Age Act. This is a disappointing update to share. We deeply care about the safety of kids and teens on our platform; it’s why we spent more than a decade building robust protections and parental controls that families rely on for a safer YouTube experience. But as we have consistently said, this rushed regulation misunderstands our platform and the way young Australians use it. Most importantly, this law will not fulfill its promise to make kids safer online, and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube. We’ve heard from parents and educators who share these concerns. As the law takes effect on December 10, we will make changes to how YouTube works in Australia.
We are happy to announce that YouTube is now the largest digital library of Sesame Street content, bringing a treasure trove of iconic episodes, original videos, unique Shorts and thematic programming directly to families everywhere.
Pop the confetti, because YouTube is turning 20! From the 19-second clip that started it all, to now over 20 billion uploaded videos,1 including music, Shorts, podcasts and more, we've grown so much in just two decades. We're kicking off our birthday with plenty of ways to celebrate. Take a peek at some of our new features, stats, hidden gems and easter eggs below to help you join in on the festivities: