“The safety of our kids is too important to let the big tech companies wriggle off the hook,” he told ABC’s Insiders program.
Shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson called the new penalties an “admission of failure” by the government, citing flawed oversight.
A study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found a direct link between heavy social media use and poor mental health in young people, especially those aged 12–13.
It warned that age-based restrictions alone are unlikely to eliminate risks and recommended holding platforms accountable through a digital duty of care.
Elizabeth Handsley, president of Children and Media Australia, welcomed the alignment of penalties with competition law but questioned whether it would ensure compliance.
“It’s nice to think this matter is being treated as seriously as other corporate breaches,” she said.
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TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and Google were approached for comment.
