Tribune’s note

Minister for Communications Anika Wells announced $450,000 in federal funding for the SmackTalk program, directed at protecting young Australians from online sexual extortion [TA-260618-infras-b70a020ab2db]. SmackTalk delivers education and training to parents, community members and facilitators, and the new funding will expand that reach while producing free materials to support a coordinated national response.

Wells framed the investment in direct human terms: "Teenagers who thought they had nowhere to turn have told us that SmackTalk training saved their lives" [TA-260618-infras-b70a020ab2db]. The announcement sits within a broader portfolio strategy that pairs targeted program funding with regulatory instruments — including the social-media minimum-age law and a digital duty of care obligation — to address online harms across multiple vectors.

Today's investment extends an online-safety agenda that, based on prior briefing context, has recently also encompassed digital access and economic readiness measures, indicating a portfolio that is moving on several online-harm fronts simultaneously. Only one source record is available for this date; the full scope of ministerial activity on 18 June 2026 may be broader than this Note reflects.

Primary records (1)

The official records this note draws on — the raw primary documents themselves, as published.

MediaExpanding Mac’s life-saving legacyAnika WellsThursday 18 June 2026