Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. How will be Albanese Labor government's legislation for social media age limits support families and promote safer and healthier outcomes for young Australians?

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. The Albanese government understands the deep concerns of many parents about the harmful impacts of social media, including screen-time addiction, on their children, and they've told us that they want help managing their children's use of social media. It is why we are progressing this legislation. It is about helping families, when they are sitting around the kitchen table, to have the hard conversations about accessing social media. Our laws will enable parents to say no. The normative value is immense. But this is not about government telling parents how to parent; it's about getting kids back out in the playgrounds and on the sporting fields.

This aligns with what we're hearing from experts. We know there are benefits for young people from accessing social media, but we are also hearing about the hazards of excessive use. In 2022, a group of UK psychologists and neuroscientists analysed longitudinal data on 17,400 young people. They found that young girls experience a negative link between social media use and life satisfaction when they are 11 to 13 years old. For young boys, it is when they are 14 to 15 years old. This legislation will help relieve some of these pressures for young people—the fear of missing out, the infinite scrolling and the addictive features.

The government appreciates the views that have been advanced by young people and mental health advocates. We know online environments can be an important avenue for young people to connect and to find their tribe, and we know the harms don't go away when someone turns 16. That's why, last week, I announced the Albanese government's intention to legislate a digital duty of care. It will place a legal obligation on the platforms to take proactive steps to protect their users. This is a landmark reform recommended by the independent review of the Online Safety Act. Our decision to legislate age limits for social media also builds on the changes I introduced to the Basic Online Safety Expectations in May this year. These changes mean that platforms are required to place the best interests of the child at the core of their services.

I know the challenges of online harms are something that everyone in this House is concerned about. That is why we are looking forward to working with all members to deliver this critical legislation age limits to access social media.

David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. Australian parents were shocked to hear the Minister for Communications state, on 14 November, that Snapchat could be exempt from the government's social media age limit legislation. Snapchat has wreaked havoc on Australian families, often with devastating consequences. Will the Albanese government reversed course and guarantee that Snapchat will be included in the law?

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. The government has made it clear that under this legislation there will be a broader definition of 'social media' to what is currently in the Online Safety Act. Defining an age restricted service is a new legal term, and we've been clear that the definition is likely to capture what is commonly understood to be social media. The framework will be clearly stepped out for the public and the parliament when it's introduced.