The Digital Duty of Care Is Coming [with Anika Wells]

More than eight in ten Australian kids were still using age-restricted social media platforms months after the under-16 law came into effect. So is the legislation working?

Justin speaks with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells about what has happened since the social media minimum age law began, why compliance has been slower than expected, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.

The proposed laws go much further than social media. They cover AI chatbots, online games, messaging platforms and other digital services, with new responsibilities for tech companies to identify and reduce risks to children.

They also tackle harmful content, addictive design features, algorithmic feeds and the growing challenge of keeping kids safe from pornography and other dangerous material online.

KEY POINTS

• Why more than 80% of children were still using age-restricted platforms
• Why enforcement against big tech takes time
• What the Digital Duty of Care would change for parents
• How AI chatbots, gaming and messaging platforms could be covered
• The harmful content platforms would have to address
• What "safety by design" could mean for kids
• How algorithmic feeds could change
• The challenges created by VPNs and children accessing pornography
• Why group chats and private sharing are harder for parents to monitor
• What the government says is changing for young Australians

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

"We want you to be able to say, this is the law and you can point to the law to try and address these daily fights that people are having in their home."

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS

• Talk with your kids about what they are seeing online, including content shared privately in group chats.
• Check which social media, gaming, messaging and AI platforms your child is using.
• Look at the feed settings on platforms your family uses and understand whether algorithmic recommendations can be changed.
• Keep talking about pornography and harmful online content before your child encounters it.
• Use Australia's changing online safety laws as a starting point for conversations about what is and isn't acceptable online.

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