Australia’s Coalition party has expressed strong support for age verification measures and a ban on underage children accessing social media platforms to safeguard them from harmful content circulating online. This proposal aligns with the concerns raised by ASIO chief Mike Burgess and federal police chief Reece Kershaw, who have emphasized the heightened vulnerability of children to extremist propaganda disseminated through social media platforms.
The Coalition’s stance on social media regulation has been echoed by ASIO chief Mike Burgess and federal police chief Reece Kershaw, who have expressed deep concern over the alarming susceptibility of children to extremist propaganda prevalent online. They have issued an urgent plea to platforms such as X and Facebook to take more proactive measures to protect young users from exposure to harmful content.
The debate surrounding social media regulation reached new heights with the refusal of X’s owner, Elon Musk, to comply with an Australian take-down order regarding footage of the Sydney church stabbing. Musk’s unwavering stance has drawn criticism from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has labeled him as “out of touch” with the values held dear by Australian families. Prime Minister Albanese has further expressed concerns that Musk’s actions may inflict irreparable damage to the reputation of X, formerly known as Twitter.
While senior Coalition MPs, including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, have strongly condemned Musk’s actions, right-wing and libertarian commentators have rallied around him, denouncing the take-down request issued by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on grounds of free speech. Senator Matt Canavan of the Liberal National Party (LNP) has accused Prime Minister Albanese of exacerbating divisions by exploiting the violent video for his political agenda of curtailing certain forms of speech. Senator Ralph Babet, an independent, posted the church stabbing video online, directing expletives toward Commissioner Inman Grant.
Daniel Wild, a senior advocate from the Institute of Public Affairs think tank, has labeled Commissioner Inman Grant as an activist whose authority has extended beyond the purview of protecting children online. He has expressed concerns that she will continue to expand her role to regulate the internet, censoring discussions that diverge from her personal ideological views.
