Chair's Foreword
Social media offers young Australians opportunities for connection, learning, and creativity, but it is also a space fraught with risk. In an era where social media is as integral to daily life as the telephone or television once was, we must ask whether the environment it creates is fit for our most vulnerable citizens: our children and young people. Alarmingly, almost two-thirds of 14- to 17-year-olds report encountering extremely harmful content, including drug abuse, suicide or self-harm, as well as violent material, and a quarter have been exposed to material that promotes unsafe eating habits. These statistics are not just numbers; they represent young lives affected in ways that can have enduring consequences.
Parents are at the frontline of these challenges. Research conducted by the eSafety Commissioner shows that 95 per cent of Australian caregivers consider online safety one of the hardest parts of parenting today. The committee heard about the anxiety and even despair experienced by parents.Parents have describing feelings of being overwhelmed and unsure how to protect their children in a digital world evolving faster than most can comprehend. Their voices demand our attention and action.
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 will amend the Online Safety Act 2021 by introducing a minimum age of 16 to have an account on age-restricted social media platforms, protecting young Australians at a critical stage of their development. It reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to holding platforms accountable for the safety of their users, particularly our young people.
The evidence presented to this inquiry, including findings from the eSafety Commissioner, is clear: there is no robust evidence that social media is safe for children under 16, and significant data points to the harms it can cause. Adolescence is a time of critical development, and the fact that social media introduces or increases risks of harm from cyberbullying, sextortion, predatory behaviours, misogynism and concentration difficulties must be addressed.
The committee also heard about the undeniable benefits of digital engagement and, indeed, the fact that not every interaction with social media is harmful. This bill aims to balance this with the need to mitigate the clear harms.
The Senate Inquiry process, though brief, was targeted and brought together a diversity of perspectives. It has also leveraged the work of other inquiries such as that of the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the broader societal task we face. Legislation is a necessary tool, but it is not a panacea. Addressing the complex intersection of technology, development, and wellbeing requires ongoing collaboration between government, industry, families, and young people themselves.
To that end, I wish to highlight the need to meaningfully engage with young people themselves through the implementation of the bill. Young people, and in particular diverse cohorts, must be at the centre of the conversation as an age restriction is implemented to ensure there are constructive pathways for connection.
This bill is not just about regulating platforms; it is about the safety and flourishing of Australia’s children and adolescents. I urge my Senate colleagues as well as the industry to work constructively with the Government to ensure the wellbeing of future generations.