Source : Perth Now news
Proposals to let social media users ditch infinite scrolling and force big tech to move against distressing, extremist and violent content have received the blessing of more than a dozen democracy groups.
Labor’s digital duty of care is set to pass federal parliament’s lower house, but its fate in the Senate remains unclear.
Under the proposals, social media platforms would be forced to protect users under 18 from content that promotes crime or eating disorders, pornography or misogynistic content, as well as posts that cause distress.
The government has already agreed to put the power to define new online harms in parliament’s hands, rather than the communications minister, in order to appease the Greens and parry coalition concerns it could lead to political censorship.
The opposition has nevertheless resolved to vote against the bill, but Labor is keen to get the legislation over the line before the end of the year.
On Tuesday, 15 advocacy groups urged politicians to pass the digital duty of care despite minor scruples.
“We should be able to connect online without constantly being scammed, fed fakes or vulnerable people left to fend for themselves and the Digital Duty of Care will put some basic rules in place,” Democracy Counts director Tom Mooney said.
“We have already seen the damage that an unregulated digital ecosystem can do to our community, and we cannot let that continue,” Alliance for Journalists Freedom boss Peter Greste added.
“Platforms (should) serve us rather than the unelected and unaccountable technocrats who run them.”
Democracy Counts welcomed Labor stripping ministerial powers but called on the government to go further by clearing the way for individuals to take big tech to court.
That change, also proposed by the Greens, may sneak into the bill during political horse trading after Communications Minister Anika Wells flagged a willingness in a speech to the National Press Club earlier in October.
Support from the Greens is needed to get the bill over the line in the Senate’s two remaining sitting weeks.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are already set to face a legal battle with the government’s eSafety Commissioner over allegedly failing to properly administer an age ban on under 16s, introduced in December 2025.
They face fines of up to $109.2 million after Labor also beefed up penalties for breaching the minimum age requirement in September, along with giving the commissioner new powers to scour the internal affairs of big tech companies.
The digital duty of care bill will also face the scrutiny of an inquiry due to hand down its final report in late November.
