SYDNEY: Australia has introduced proposed legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children and giving users greater control over the content they see on social media platforms.
The centre-left Labor government’s Digital Duty of Care bill, formally introduced to Parliament on Oct 15, would require major platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, to allow users to opt out of algorithm-driven feeds.
The proposed law would also make technology companies directly responsible for protecting users under 18 from harmful material, including pornography, cyberbullying, content glorifying criminal activity and material promoting eating disorders.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said technology companies should be accountable for the potential risks associated with their products.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, she criticised major technology firms for allowing their products to be tested on Australians without adequate safeguards.
Wells said Australia should eventually view unrestricted access to children by technology companies as an unacceptable practice, drawing a comparison with the introduction of mandatory seatbelt requirements to improve road safety.
However, the bill faces a challenging path through Parliament, as the Labor government will need support from the left-wing Greens to secure its passage through the Senate.
The conservative opposition has pledged to oppose the legislation, arguing that it would give the government excessive authority over online speech.
Wells rejected those concerns, saying a provision in an earlier draft that would have allowed ministers to determine what constituted harmful content had been removed.
She maintained that the legislation was intended to regulate the responsibilities and conduct of digital platforms rather than restrict what individuals could say online.
Australia introduced a world-first social media age restriction last year, prohibiting children under 16 from accessing several social media platforms.
The move has attracted international attention, with countries including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France and Turkey considering similar measures.
However, data from parental control application Qustodio released in August indicated that Australian children under 16 had continued to increase their use of social media applications such as Instagram and TikTok despite the restrictions.
-THESTAR
