Parliament Passes Landmark Social Media Reforms to Protect Australian Kids

Andrew Wallace MP, a prominent advocate for online safety and a member of the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society, has welcomed the passage of the Online Safety Bill 2024, which passed the Senate last night after a marathon session that extended beyond 11pm (AEDT).

The new laws mandate that social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and X, must take reasonable steps to prevent individuals under the age of 16 from creating accounts. Failure to comply with these laws could result in fines of nearly $50 million. Importantly, the Bill ensures that the platforms are prohibited from asking for Digital ID or Government ID such as passports or drivers’ licences or face significant fines.

The Bill's passage marks a significant victory for the Coalition, which has been at the forefront of the national debate on social media age limit reforms. Mr Wallace, the Deputy Chair of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, has been a leading voice in advocating for stricter online safety measures to protect young Australians.

Peter Dutton and Opposition Communications Spokesperson David Coleman have led the national debate on social media age limits, committed in June to implementing an age limit of 16, making it a top priority for his first 100 days in office.

Mr Wallace, who has been pushing for these reforms since 2022 through his advocacy for online pornography and gambling restrictions, expressed his strong support for the Bill's passage.

He said, "There is still work to do on transparency, algorithm reform and combatting child exploitation, but this is an important step to equip Australian parents to keep kids safe online."

"We've been fighting for this for a very, very long time, in the face of a hapless Labor Government and vested interests from the big tech, big porn, and gambling lobbies. This week, Australian parents have won out over those vested interests," Mr Wallace added.

Coalition members of the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society proposed a number of significant and practical recommendations to address issues around mental health, foreign interference, child abuse, and transparency which can be found at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Social_Media/SocialMedia/Fina l_report/Coalition_Members_additional_comments