Chair's foreword

The rise in the use of social media across the world has forever changed the way we communicate with each other, socialise, and gain access to news and information.

In Australia alone, approximately 81 per cent of the total population were active users of social media in 2023. Significant amounts of time each month are spent by users on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, for social connection, communication, entertainment, news, and information, and these companies are doing all they can to stop users from logging off.

This Committee was tasked with examining the impact of social media on Australian society, and how the decision of Meta (who owns Facebook and Instagram) not to renew deals under the News Media Bargaining Code (the Code) could influence the provision and consumption of public interest journalism in Australia.

This is the third and final report of the Committee. The first interim report, tabled in August 2024, was a short progress report on work done by the Committee so far. The second interim report, tabled in October 2024, focussed on the interface between digital platforms and traditional news media. It found that while the Code was established in good faith, its implementation has revealed shortcomings. Accordingly, the Committee made 11 considered recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Code, and the sustainability of public interest journalism and digital media in Australia.

This final report focusses on the impacts of social media and Australian society. It examines the influence of social media on users' health and wellbeing, particularly on vulnerable cohorts of people, but also how social media can provide users with positive connection, a sense of community, a place for expression and instant access to information and entertainment.

The Committee heard that balancing these conflicting realities is a wicked problem. Young people spoke of their online communities and shared their unique insights and lived experiences as digital natives. They told us they want to be active participants in co-designing policy, and they want greater user control over the content they see.

We heard from mental health organisations who outlined how social media is used to support people's mental health, but that more should be done to protect users from online harms. Academics and experts told the Committee that we must have a multifaceted approach, and that there is no single solution to keeping users safe online. And the Committee heard that social media companies use opaque algorithms that keep users scrolling, continuously feeding them what they think they want to see, even if it's harmful.

The Committee also heard from families and individuals who shared devastating stories about horrific harms their loved ones experienced through using social media. This compelling evidence highlighted the need for wide-reaching reform that includes both immediate and long-term actions. As one grieving parent noted:

This is a multifaceted problem. It's going to take time. We don't have a silver bullet that's going to resolve all our issues right now, but these problems are occurring as we speak. At this very moment, there are children that are being exposed to [online harms].

This report addresses both the need for immediate action, and the need for a sustained digital reform agenda. The report supports protecting Australians through a statutory duty of care by digital platforms, education support and digital competency, greater protections of personal information, independent research, data gathering and reporting, and giving users greater control over what they see on social media. This report puts Big Tech on notice—social media companies are not immune from the need to have a social licence to operate.

The Committee strongly supports the 12 recommendations in this report, and the 11 recommendations of the second interim report. Taken together, they address the complexity of the problem, recognise the value of both social media and public interest journalism in Australian society, and work to keep Australians safe online.

I would like to sincerely thank the secretariat and all participants of this inquiry for their generous and thoughtful contributions. The courage and strength of those who shared personal stories was recognised by the Committee, and the evidence young people gave was invaluable as we considered a matter which greatly impacts on them.

I would also like to thank the Deputy Chair, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who worked productively with me throughout this inquiry, and all committee members for their hard work and co-operation. I look forward to a future where social media is a safe place for all Australians to find connection, community, and reliable information.

Ms Sharon Claydon MP

Chair