Media release: Greens Establish Senate Inquiry into Social Media Age Ban and Search Engine Age Verification
Media release: Greens Establish Senate Inquiry into Social Media Age Ban and Search Engine Age Verification | Australian Greens Skip to main content Search Get Involved Join Donate Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Get Involved Join Donate Search Our plan Toggle Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Toggle Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Toggle Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement Toggle About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Media release: Greens Establish Senate Inquiry into Social Media Age Ban and Search Engine Age Verification 2025-08-27 The Senate has today voted to establish an inquiry into the Government's proposed social media age ban and search engine age verification codes following a motion by the Australian Greens.
The inquiry will examine the privacy implications and effectiveness of the proposed measures. The inquiry comes amid growing concerns that the proposed age verification system will require all Australians to provide personal data to access social media platforms and search engines, raising significant privacy and civil liberties questions. The inquiry will soon begin accepting public submissions.
Further details will be announced promptly. Greens Senator David Shoebridge and Digital Rights Spokesperson said: "This isn't just about kids - it's a national age verification system and identification system being sold as online safety for children. "The age ban will force all Australians to hand over personal data to access social media and the verification codes will mean the same for search engines.
Everybody will have to go through age-checking to make this work. "Instead of the much promised digital duty of care, the Government is focusing on bans and codes that will encourage big tech to vacuum up everyone’s private information. "The current approach risks driving young people away from safer regulated platforms and towards spaces where bullying and image-based abuse has no limits.
“This inquiry will examine what actually works globally and presents an opportunity for evidence-based policy that upholds fundamental human rights. Greens Communications Spokesperson and Chair of the Environment and Communications Committee Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “Trying to fix all the harms of social media and online platforms by simply banning under 16s from using them is never going to work.
This inquiry is about continuing the conversation about how we keep all people safe online and holding the big tech platforms to account for protecting their users.” Facebook for the Australian Greens YouTube for the Australian Greens X for the Australian Greens Instagram for the Australian Greens Bluesky for the Australian Greens Privacy Members website Your safety Contact us Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action In your language 2025 policy platform Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Federal portfolios Federal media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Upcoming events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Green Magazine All news Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Members website State/territory parties Contact us The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
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