Anthony Albanese’s call to seize the moment on social media ban

Anthony Albanese has urged Parliament to “give children back their childhoods” and swiftly pass a ban on social media for under 16s as the head of a tech lobby group came under fire from senators.

The Prime Minister said there was a clear link between the rise of social media and the harm to mental health of young Australians.

“We are setting a new community standard, making it clear that social media companies have a social responsibility and sending a message to all those mums and dads who are worried about the impact that social media is having on their children’s wellbeing, their mental health, their confidence and their sense of self,” he told Parliament, speaking on the legislation.

“We know that social media can be a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers, and worst of all, a tool for online predators.”

The Government is seeking to ban under-16s from platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit, with the age limit to come into effect a year after the legislation passes.

Mr Albanese said Parliament had a particular responsibility to young people and an opportunity to act.

“Let’s seize it. Let’s give children back their childhood. Let’s give parents new peace of mind. Let’s work together. Let’s pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and the Senate this week, and it will be something we can be very proud of,” he said.

Australia is the first country in the world to move on banning children from social media platforms.

Mr Albanese said it was clear from his discussions with other leaders at global summits last week that the world was watching on with a view to follow suit.

A Senate committee holding a five-day inquiry into the world-leading legislation held its only public hearing on Monday morning for three hours.

The head of tech lobby group DIGI, Sunita Bose, told senators they were being asked to pass legislation without knowing how the age limit would actually work and that it ultimately could push young people into “darker, less safe online spaces”.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson clashed with Dr Bose, accusing her of making an outrageous statement.

“You’re trying to protect the big tech giants. You’re trying to protect them,” the senator said.

She asked the lobbyist to explain to the grieving parents of children who had been campaigning for social media age limits “why you are right and they are wrong”.

Dr Bose said parents and leaders needed to remain focused on how to protect young people online without cutting them off from connections and mental health support.

“These are absolutely tragic events, and as a parent of two myself, I cannot imagine anything worse,” she said.

A handful of Coalition backbenchers are concerned about the legislation, whether the age limit will work in reality and the fast-tracked process through Parliament.

However, they acknowledge Opposition Leader Peter Dutton led the calls to limit children’s access and, at this stage, are more likely to abstain from the votes than cross the floor.

The campaigners opposed to the ban have sent thousands of emails sent to politicians on the issue over the weekend.