No-one would expect to see harmful content on their television, in print media or at the cinema. You'd never see deepfake news in the paper nor would you see instructions on how to commit suicide after the nightly news, but this vile stuff can be fed to you right now on your devices. Social media is unregulated. It's dangerous, and it's having a profound impact on our society.

Today, the House of Representatives has passed reasonable, sensible and important legislation which will put basic safety standards in place for digital media. This bill will require platforms to assess risks, prevent harm and give users over 16 real control over their feeds. This bill will keep Australians safe, and it builds on other world-leading reforms, like our under-16s social media ban. Australians have been asking for reform like this, and Labor is delivering it, but, inexplicably, the three right-wing parties opposed the sensible reforms today. They claim it's censorship. They cry that it's an attack on free speech. It's neither of those. They focus on what this bill is not about rather than what it is about. This bill is about protecting kids and adults from illegal and harmful content. This is about listening to parents, who tell me that they want this parliament to stand up to big tech and social media companies. Labor is listening to sensible parents, and it's time for the Senate to do so as well.