Question Time response - Protecting young people online

Question – Federal Member for Parramatta, Dr Andrew Charlton MP

My question is to the Minister for Communications. How is the Albanese Labor Government addressing the need to protect young Australians through limiting access to social media? What other measures are being considered to make online environments safer for children?

Answer - Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Member for their question. 

This is a very important issue, and as I said yesterday, many parents are telling us they need help. That's what our legislation is about. Our message to parents is clear - we have your back. But I do acknowledge the valid points raised by experts that we cannot stop there. We need to take forward a range of reforms in regulating tech companies to make their services safer. As I said yesterday, we will consult. There's understandably a wide variety of views, but as a Government, our objective is clear. 

Mr Speaker, restricting children's access to social media is not a magic pill to addressing all online harms – and our actions to improve online safety are not set for forget. We have taken a comprehensive approach, as a Government, to tackling online harms for all Australians. Earlier this year, I amended the Basic Online Safety Expectations - requiring platforms to place the best interest of the child at the centre of their products and services. This has already empowered the eSafety Commissioner to issue notices to the platforms on the number of children using their services, and the age assurance measures they have in place. 

We have provided funding so previously neglected initiatives on media literacy are now available in across Australia for free. Minister Rishworth and I delivered an Australia-first code to improve the safety of Australians using those services. The Attorney-General is driving reforms to tackle hate speech and bolster privacy protections, particularly for children, and has criminalised the creation and distribution of non-consensual deepfake pornography. The Assistant Treasurer is making vital reforms to make people accountable for protecting Australians from scams. The Albanese Government's system-wide approach is what is needed to tackle the harms facing Australians, particularly young people online. And it's why I brought forward the statutory review of the Online Safety Act by a full year.

Though it only came into force in January 2022, I was compelled to expedite this because it was clear our laws were not keeping pace with emerging technologies and associated harms. It's examining how we can make online spaces safer, and ensure that eSafety has the power that they need to keep Australians safe. The Albanese Government will not resolve from holding big tech to account and keeping Australians safe online, particularly our most vulnerable. We are alive to the issues across Government and we are delivering to make the online environment safer and better.