Australians have every reason to distrust the Albanese Labor Government’s dangerous agenda to control what they can see and say online.
Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety, Sarah Henderson, said Labor’s Digital Duty of Care bill, introduced into Parliament today, remains a legislative dog’s breakfast which the Coalition cannot support.
“This is censorship dressed up as online safety. Labor wants to decide what Australians can see, what they can say and which political views are acceptable,” Senator Henderson said.
“Anthony Albanese has already given the game away. In a speech in New York, the Prime Minister boasted that these laws would help combat misinformation, disinformation and political polarisation.”
“The government should be going after online predators and holding big tech to account, not Australians for expressing lawful opinions.”
Senator Henderson said the bill contained dangerously vague definitions of online harm, including material or conduct considered hostile to women and gender equality.
“Who decides what is hostile to gender equality? Anthony Albanese? Anika Wells? An unelected bureaucrat?”
“These sweeping definitions could be used to silence legitimate debate about Labor’s controversial gender policies, including the rights of women and girls to single-sex spaces.”
“Disagreeing with Labor should never be treated as an online harm. This is Australia, not a police state.”
Labor has reinstated the mandatory codes and standards in the Online Safety Act, but now there’s a confusing web of overlapping obligations.
“The minister has backed down on some of her extraordinary powers, only to hand the eSafety Commissioner broad discretion to issue guidelines without adequate safeguards.”
“Labor also wants sweeping powers to create fake ‘sock puppet’ accounts to secretly access online services, while retaining powers that could influence what content Australians see in their social media feeds.”
“The bill recognises pornography is harmful to children, yet includes exemptions for classified films, publications and computer games, including pornographic material. How does that make children safer?”
Senator Henderson warned the legislation would also hit small businesses with another wave of Labor red tape.
“Small businesses are struggling to pay their power bills, their rent and their staff. Now Labor wants to force even low-risk websites into annual risk assessments. It’s madness,” Senator Henderson said.
“Why is Labor targeting ordinary small businesses instead of the big technology companies responsible for the greatest risks?”
“The Coalition strongly supports protecting children online and holding big tech accountable.”
“But protecting children must never become an excuse for censoring Australians, silencing political opponents or drowning small businesses in red tape.”
“Labor’s bill fails that test and must be scrapped.”
The Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 will be examined by a Senate inquiry reporting on 20 November 2026.