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Australian prime minister condemns delay of changes to child social media ban

On Thursday, the Coalition and Greens referred the government's social media bill to an eight-week Senate inquiry, delaying legislation to double fines to $99 million and grant new enforcement powers.
The current under-16s social media ban, which passed with bipartisan support in December 2024, has struggled significantly; research by the British Medical Journal found about 85 per cent of teenagers remain active on restricted platforms.
Communications Minister Anika Wells accused the Coalition of having "no compassion at all" and allowing tech to "shred documents," while Opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson dismissed the bill as a "half-baked law."
The Senate inquiry will hand down its report in late August, effectively pausing enforcement as eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant noted no penalties have been issued since the ban began in December.
Opposition senators have flagged regulating algorithms, banning live streaming, and restricting VPNs as potential additions to future restrictions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the government's path, stating they "wouldn't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.

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Albanese slams Senate delay on Australia's under-16 social media ban

Anthony Albanese has attacked the Senate inquiry delay over stronger child social media ban powers. He says the hold-up could let platforms delete records before the eSafety commissioner can act.

1 day ago·India

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