A report from an inquiry into the implementation of regulations aimed at protecting children and young people online, with particular reference to the Internet Search Engine Services Online Safety Code and the under 16 social media ban.

Achieving the right balance between online protections for children and young people and supporting their online participation is clearly a challenging task. A central concern for the committee is whether the current Australian regulations reflect world’s best practice for children’s and young people’s online safety and, if not, what needs to be improved.

Key findings

• Search engines and digital media platforms serve as vast repositories of information from which young people can learn. Similarly, social media platforms are often spaces where young people engage with their peers and the world.
• The age assurance measures under the Search Engine Services Code and the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) obligation are substantial measures that will have a major effect on the online experience of millions of Australians.
• Concern that simply banning young people from a certain number of platforms will drive them to other, less safe and less controlled platforms that are not covered by the SMMA obligation.
• The SMMA obligation could mean that platforms no longer provide age appropriate accounts for young people.
• Concern that there has not been an adequate education program rolled out to young people who will be cut off from their online communities and connections when the SMMA obligation comes into place.

Recommendations

1. The implementation of the SMMA obligation be delayed until 10 June 2026 to allow time for the issues in implementation and compliance to be properly considered and an education campaign for young people affected to be rolled out.
2. The Australian Government legislate a digital duty of care to make online platforms safer for all users.
3. The Australian Government legislate to prohibit platforms from harvesting and exploiting the data of minors and protect young people from targeted, unsolicited advertisements and algorithms as a matter of priority.
4. The eSafety Commissioner roll out an education program, including through schools, that delivers clear information to young people about the platforms that are covered by the SMMA obligation and what the impacts on young people will be.