Politics live updates: Day of drama as final sitting week of Parliament for 2024 comes to end
It was a day of drama but precious little debate as our Federal politicians headed towards their Christmas break. Recap the day’s events here.
Keep up to date with the latest updates below.
‘Concerned’ tech giant Meta responds to social media ban
Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – has released a statement after the social media ban for under-16s passed the Federal Parliament.
Here’s the statement in full.
“Naturally, we respect the laws decided by the Australian Parliament. However, we are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people.
“Last week, the Parliament’s own committee said the “causal link with social media appears unclear,” with respect to the mental health of young Australians, whereas this week the rushed Senate Committee report pronounced that social media caused harm. This demonstrates the lack of evidence underpinning the legislation and suggests this was a predetermined process.
“The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the Bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens.
“One simple option is age verification at the operating system and app store level which reduces the burden and minimises the amount of sensitive information shared.”
PM tells Australian parents he has ‘got your back’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed concerns - raised by major tech companies and advocacy groups - that the legislation had been rushed and risked cutting off vulnerable children from online peer support groups.
“Social media is doing harm to our children and today as a direct result of our legislation…parents can have a different discussion with their young ones, a different discussion that will result in better outcomes and less harm for young Australians,” Mr Albanese said from Parliament House.
“Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them.
“We’ve got your back, is our message to Australian parents.”
