The Australian Government has set itself a busy agenda of media regulatory reform. It has already implemented several changes since coming to office, however numerous promised media policies remain unrealised. This paper briefly outlines key pieces of media policy and regulation that may be expected in 2026.

Strengthening society’s resilience to the dissemination of harmful misinformation is a key strategy in strengthening democracy’s resilience. While the Federal Government has proposed various legislative approaches, few actions have progressed and Australians remain highly concerned about the prevalence of online misinformation. This paper outlines the issue, recent government approaches and possible actions.

An overview and analysis of the Bill that proposes introducing a minimum age of 16 for social media use in Australia. The digest notes that although the bill has bipartisan support, experts and researchers in relevant fields have encouraged the government to pursue alternative action. Age restrictions will not commence for at least 12 months.

The Bill proposes to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and make consequential amendments to other Acts to establish a new framework safeguarding against serious harms caused by misinformation or disinformation. This paper outlines the purpose, structure and background of the Bill along with key issues, provisions and concerns.

This backgrounder provides an overview of the Australian government’s approach to online safety for children and outlines a sample of children’s online safety measures in other jurisdictions.