QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:22): I thank Senator O'Neill for her question and for the great work that she does for the people of New South Wales. Can I say that the Albanese government is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to holding big tech to account.

Our world-leading social media minimum age laws sparked a global movement, and, while we are seeing the green shoots of this generational reform, it's abundantly clear that social media companies are doing the bare minimum to comply with this new law. That's why the government acted fast to strengthen the investigative powers of the eSafety Commissioner and doubled the fines for the breach to $109.2 million.

These changes mean that the eSafety Commissioner can demand information and documents from social media companies and third parties, such as age assurance technology providers. They also give eSafety the power to summon former employees or executives from social media companies to give evidence. What this means is that social media companies will have to prove to the regulator that they are doing what they say they are doing to keep under-16s offline.

The message from the Albanese government to social media companies could not be clearer—if you want to do business on our shores, you must follow Australian laws or face significant penalties. Of course, online harm extends beyond social media to other spaces children inhabit. That's why the Albanese government is legislating a digital duty of care, which will put the onus on big tech to prevent harms before they occur across all online services.

The PRESIDENT: Senator O'Neill, first supplementary?