Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 is a piece of potential legislation on which I find myself torn in terms of taking a position. For those who know me, that is pretty unusual! I can usually form a view pretty quickly and make a decision. I want to give you an example of some of the correspondence, calls and emails that my office has been getting, and this is only a very small selection.

'Don't ban kids from the ocean; teach them to swim.' 'What is the rush?' 'This is a backdoor to the Digital ID Bill.' 'Will it stop the bullying?' Several callers have said they will close all digital accounts if they're asked to prove their identity. 'Parental rights should not be taken away. This is a decision for the parent, not the government.' 'It will force everyone onto dodgy apps that don't have any moderation.' 'Making people create a digital footprint increases the information available to hackers.' 'Many workplaces, small businesses, sporting groups and community groups have social media pages to engage with their members, and these will be reduced if these bans come in.' 'What are the consequences for parents who allow their children on social media?' 'There is not enough information about this bill or how will this will work.' 'Will this put DV victims at risk if they are forced to have real-name accounts?'

This is a small sample of what is coming to my office and I suspect many others, because people are concerned, and I absolutely recognise their concerns. One of our roles as members of parliament is to put their concerns on the record in regards to legislation like this.

See this speech in context