Australia to probe negative impacts of social media

The government has criticised social media platforms for not being quick enough to remove violent posts and seeks more oversight over content posted on Meta’s Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok and X

Australia announced on Friday that it would hold a parliamentary inquiry to look into the negative impacts of social media platforms, saying they have significant reach and control over what Australians see online, with almost no scrutiny.

The government has criticised social media platforms for not being quick enough to remove violent posts and seeks more oversight over content posted on Meta’s Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).

Across a range of issues, whether it be the issue of domestic violence, whether it be the radicalisation of our young people, across a range of areas, something that keeps popping up over and over again is the role of social media, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

He said: They can be very positive but also can have a negative influence which is there.

Albanese’s Labor government is already in a legal battle with Musk’s X over a regulatory order asking the platform to take down videos of the stabbing attack on an Assyrian church bishop in Sydney last month.

X said it has blocked the posts for Australian users, but Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner says the content should be taken down for all users since it shows explicit violence. Musk has posted memes criticising Albanese, describing the government’s decision as censorship.

The joint parliamentary select committee will also check Meta’s decision to withdraw from paying for news in Australia.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Parliament needed to understand how social media companies “dial up and down the content that supports healthy democracies, as well as the anti-social content that undermines public safety.”

This inquiry will provide opportunity and resources for parliamentarians to closely scrutinise these firms and make recommendations on how we can make these platforms accountable for their decisions, she said.