Two separate court cases in the United States have exposed the failure of Meta and Google to protect children online.
Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety, Sarah Henderson, said the rulings should be a wake-up call for Australia.
“Two separate juries have found these big tech giants are causing real harm to young people,” Senator Henderson said.
“This is not accidental – it goes to the addictive design of these platforms and the way they prioritise engagement.”
Senator Henderson said Labor’s under-16s social media ban has failed to deal with the real problem.
“Labor’s social media ban has not delivered as promised. Families were assured this would be a practical and enforceable safeguard, yet what we’ve seen is confusion for parents, uncertainty for platforms and real questions as to how this works in practice,” Senator Henderson said.
“These verdicts highlight a deeper truth. The danger to children online does not disappear simply because rules are in place.”
“Children can still be exposed to real harm through shared devices, older accounts, flawed age verification, or the numerous ways teens are circumventing the social media ban including by using VPNs.”
“These cases are further evidence that real risks persist regardless of formal bans.”
Senator Henderson said the focus in Australia must be on whether existing laws have been properly implemented and enforced and whether they are addressing the real drivers of harm.
“The question for Australia is not whether rules exist, but whether they are working in practice.”
“One of the most concerning issues is the role of algorithms in determining what young people see and to whom they are exposed online.”
“Australians deserve transparency and platforms should not be allowed to operate black box algorithms when children’s safety is at stake.”
“The Albanese government has failed to hold the big tech giants to the highest standards.”
“No company should be prioritising engagement and profit over the safety of young people. If any platform operates in Australia, it has a responsibility to protect Australian kids, that is not optional.”
Senator Henderson said the Coalition will continue to support strong, effective and enforceable protections which deliver real safety for families.