Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged a fresh tightening of the country’s world-first social media restrictions, saying the federal government would go further to curb harmful online content. Source: The Age.
Mr Albanese said the government was planning a further strengthening of the under-16 social media ban and broader online safety laws, as evidence mounts that many children continue to access major platforms more than six months after the landmark restrictions came into force.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Albanese said Australia could not allow technology companies to operate without greater accountability as concerns intensified about the influence of online content on children and young men.
Mr Albanese singled out the emergence of artificial intelligence-powered “nudify” applications, which can generate sexually explicit images, and said the government was actively considering tougher measures.
“We need to be conscious as a parliament about this. We need to be courageous about this,” Mr Albanese said.
He said that while the law now allowed fines of $49.5 million for breaches of the social media ban aimed at young people, it was clear “we are going to need to do more”.
He cited an already foreshadowed digital duty of care that would place broader obligations on technology companies to identify and mitigate harms across their services.
A government source confirmed a “significant” announcement was expected within days.
Mr Albanese said Australia had led the world with its under-16 social media ban, claiming another 16 countries were now pursuing similar approaches.
The United Kingdom this month announced plans to introduce restrictions on social media access for children under 16 by next year.
But the flagship policy’s effectiveness has been questioned as under-age teens find their way back on platforms.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the number of under-16 social media accounts had fallen by 37 per cent over three months. but the regulator’s own compliance reporting found about 70 per cent of children who had accounts before the ban were still using major platforms.
Research from the University of Newcastle also found four out of five Australian young people reported still accessing social media in the months after a ban took effect, claiming there was “insufficient evidence of any substantive early effects”.
FULL STORY
‘We need to be courageous’: Albanese plans to go harder on teen social media ban (By Rob Harris, The Age)
