Australia will require social media to prevent online harms

The proposed changes to the Online Safety Act were announced before the government next week introduces to Parliament world’s first legislation that would ban children below 16 from social media platforms

Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behaviour and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday.

The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on digital platforms to proactively keep Australians safe and better prevent online harms, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement.

The proposed changes to the Online Safety Act were announced before the government next week introduces to Parliament world’s first legislation that would ban children below 16 from platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Critics have argued that removing children from social media reduced incentives for platforms to provide safer online environments.

Social media has been blamed for a rise in children taking their own lives and developing eating disorders due to bullying and exposures to negative body images.

Rowland said making tech companies legally responsible for keeping Australians safe was an approach already adopted by Britain and the EU.

Digital businesses would be required to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms and services. The duty of care framework would be underpinned by risk assessment and risk mitigation, and informed by safety-by-design principles, Rowland said.

Legislating a duty of care would mean services cannot “set and forget.” Instead, their obligations would mean they need to continually identify and mitigate potential risks, as technology and service offerings change and evolve, she added.

The categories of harm in the legislation include harm to young people and mental well-being, promotion of harmful practices and illegal activity.

The government has not said when the duty of care legislation will be introduced to Parliament or outlined the punishment for breaches.

The Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI), an advocate for the digital industry in Australia, welcomed government efforts to “future-proof” the Online Safety Act.

DIGI’s members together represent some of the safest sections of the Internet, and their work to keep people safe on their services never stops, DIGI MD Sunita Bose said in a statement.

While we wait for further details about this announcement, DIGI’s members will continue to deliver safety-by-design on their services and work constructively with the government to keep Australians safe online, she said.