Australian govt to compel social media companies to proactively keep users safe

The Australian government has announced a new plan to force social media companies to take proactive steps to ensure the well-being of their users.

Michelle Rowland, the Minister for Communications, on Wednesday night, committed to legislate Digital Duty of Care regulations for technology companies, Xinhua news agency reported.

Under the proposed plan, social media companies would be obligated to continually monitor their platforms for risks to users and take preventative action to prevent foreseeable harm.

“What’s required is a shift away from reacting to harms by relying on content regulation alone, and moving towards systems-based prevention,” Rowland said in a speech.

“This, as part of a growing global effort, will deliver a more systemic and preventive approach to making online services safer and healthier.”

She said that regulators will be able to impose strong penalties in cases where platforms seriously and systematically breach their duty of care to Australian users.

The duty of care law was recommended by an independent review of the existing Online Safety Act. The findings of the review were handed to the government in October but have not yet been made public.

The Digital Duty of Care will be introduced in addition to the government’s world-first move to ban children younger than 16 from using social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday pledged that legislation for the under-16 ban will be introduced to Parliament in November.

The proposed law will put the onus on ensuring compliance with the 16-year minimum age requirement on social media companies rather than parents, guardians, or children.