MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Ms JARRETT (Brisbane) (16:05): Protecting big tech or protecting young children—easy choice. Those opposite have the wrong priorities for this country, and we see it time and time again, whether it's keeping Australians locked out of the housing market, not supporting wage increases, voting against higher taxes or not acting on climate change. Now, they have the chance to come together in this parliament to protect our children.

And what have they chosen? They've chosen the interests of big tech ahead of keeping our children safe, with the red herring argument. On this side of the House, we make no apologies for keeping our children safe on social media.

That's why, last year, we introduced some of the most significant and controversial technology reforms in Australia, introducing that minimum age of 16 for social media use. Since the introduction of those reforms, we have seen over five million accounts belonging to under-16s deleted off social media. That's an outcome, Member for Casey.

This is a very positive development. However, we know that kids are still getting through, and it's clear that big tech companies just aren't doing enough to keep children off the platforms. That's why this government is stepping in, to get things done and to do more.

We announced this week that we will double the penalties for tech companies and give more powers to the regulators so they can investigate what's going on within those big tech companies. It's a pretty simple bill. Why did we decide to act?

We heard from the member for Newcastle why it's so important, but social media really, truly has transformed how we communicate. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X are all central to our modern lifestyle. But, while they're great opportunities to learn, to be creative, to connect, they also expose young people to significant risk.

I'm going to make a point here: there is research behind this. There are facts that support this. Research has linked excessive social media use with increased rates of anxiety, depression, body image concerns, cyberbullying, sleep deprivation and reduced attention spans, especially amongst teenagers.

Many young people, too many, compare themselves to unrealistic online standards. Algorithms, as we know, prioritise and push sensational or emotionally charged content to keep the users engaged, to keep our kids scrolling. They can create endless cycles of that.

Parents, teachers and mental health professionals have increasingly expressed concern that social media companies have prioritised engagement and profit over children's wellbeing. In response to that, this government has acted and, importantly, has tried to take a bit of the effort away from parents and put it where it belongs—with tech companies. There are potential benefits in these reforms.

Again, the data is there. The first is improved health, improved teenage mental health. Teenagers are still developing emotionally and psychologically, and removing this constant exposure to bullying and addictive algorithms—all that we see online—can reduce stress and anxiety.

Second is the benefit of increased face-to-face interactions, participating in sports and hobbies and having conversations with families and friends. Third is better sleep. Fourth is greater protection from online predators, scams and harmful content.

Finally, the reforms send a strong message to the technology companies that child safety should be built into platform design rather than treated as an afterthought. Australian parents and carers have called on this government and those before to act and to look after our young people. And we are.

Despite what the member for Bowman says, by voting against this bill in the Senate, turning and pushing it away, they are walking away from protecting our kids online. Increasingly, governments around the world are asking tech companies to accept greater responsibility for products they create and profit from. Australia's reforms are already world leading, and we've got plenty of countries that are following us.

I'm pretty proud that the government is standing strong against big tech because that's what we need to do. We went out alone, but there are 16 more countries that are coming in behind us, which is pretty important. That's a pretty strong contrast to those opposite, who have chosen big tech over Australian kids.

I really do feel like it's climate 2.0—when those opposite are presented with facts and research, instead of taking note and showing leadership for change, they fail Australians. They're putting politics over people, ideology over safety, and they're not helping our kids. (Time expired)