Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Senator Farrell. We know social media is having a direct and harmful impact on Australian children, with statistics showing seven out of 10 kids have witnessed online harm. How will the Albanese Labor government's world-first social media laws help protect our kids from the pervasive pull of social media and give parents across the country peace of mind?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her very good question and the great work that she does for the people of her home state, which includes keeping children safe online. It is a challenge, but it is one that the Albanese Labor government makes no apologies for taking on. Delaying access to social media until the age of 16 will protect Australian children at a critical stage of their development. That gives them three more years on which to build real-world connections, three more years for them to learn who they are before the platforms assume who they are. We have all heard the horrible tragedies that have befallen families throughout Australia. Social media targets children with deadly precision, and it's families that are left to suffer. This government will not stand idly by. We want kids to be kids, and these laws will help them have a childhood.

The Liberals and the Nationals are only focused on themselves and undermining these laws before they even begin on 10 December. We, on the other hand, are on the side of parents not platforms. That's where our focus is. There is a place for social media, but there's no place for predatory algorithms causing children harm. Social media has a social responsibility, and this government will continue to hold them to account.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Darmanin, first supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know the Albanese Labor government's social media minimum-age laws will be a major adjustment for Australian families, and that is why the government has made a range of resources available before 10 December. What impact will the government's world-first online safety reforms have on Australian families and children, and where can they find the latest and most accurate information?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her first supplementary question. Our online safety reforms are about letting kids be kids. We know this is a significant change, and that is why there is a comprehensive package of resources available in the esafety website. There's been a 1,000 per cent increase in people visiting the website, and I encourage families to take advantage of these resources in the lead-up to 10 December. We are not chasing perfection, but we are chasing a meaningful difference. We're using every lever at our disposal to protect our kids and stand behind each family faced with an increasingly scary and dangerous digital environment.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Darmanin, second supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government takes the danger of online harm seriously, especially when it comes to those most vulnerable—our kids. Given these world-first online safety laws have been welcomed by Australian parents as a way to protect their children, how much interest in these laws have we seen from parents and experts from other countries?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her second supplementary question. We know the world is looking at the Albanese Labor government decision to protect children online. Our reforms were resoundingly welcomed at the United Nations General Assembly. Just this week we've seen Malaysia announce its intention to ban social media accounts for under-16-year-olds. Earlier this month Denmark's government also announced plans to ban access to social media for anybody under 15. We are proud to be leading the world when it comes to protecting our kids online, and we're proud to provide Australian parents and grandparents with yet another tool to protect their children at a time when they are most vulnerable.