The federal government must do extra to guard younger folks from violent and dangerous content material on-line, a brand new report suggests.
The Youth Choose Committee, a parliamentary group of 14 to 19-year-olds, mentioned the On-line Security Act was not sturdy sufficient to guard kids from being uncovered to harmful materials.
However the younger folks on the committee argued towards calls to ban social media for under-16s, saying it could stop folks from accessing its advantages, and that younger folks would discover methods round it.
The federal government mentioned it was “making our streets and on-line areas safer for youngsters” by delivering its Plan for Change.
Wania Eshaal Ahmad, the 15-year-old chair of the committee, mentioned it was “fairly abhorrent” that social media algorithms might inadvertently promote violent and dangerous content material to maintain younger folks engaged.
She mentioned some younger folks had been turning into desensitised to glorified violence on-line, due to how usually it’s proven to them.
The committee known as for higher media literacy schooling in faculties, together with about how algorithms work and the way college students can “defend themselves and distinguish reality from fiction”.
The report additionally known as for extra coaching and help for academics, mother and father and carers to assist educate younger folks on the potential risks of the web world.
The report welcomed measures in the Online Safety Act, however mentioned the invoice was not sturdy sufficient to implement minimal age limits on social media platforms, or to make sure kids and younger folks could be shielded from dangerous content material.
The invoice, which is being launched this yr, places extra accountability on social media firms to forestall their companies getting used for criminal activity, and to take down unlawful content material when it does seem.
These measures have already been launched. A authorities spokesperson mentioned these had been “just the start”, and extra had been as a result of come into impact this yr.
However the committee’s report mentioned the federal government ought to do extra, together with naming and shaming platforms which fail to adjust to the foundations, introducing a web-based security scorecard to assist younger folks keep away from dangerous content material, and doing extra analysis into the hyperlinks between on-line and real-life violence.
Whereas the committee mentioned the invoice doesn’t go far sufficient, its report mentioned banning social media for under-16s was not the reply.
Members mentioned a ban, like the one being implemented in Australia, “is neither sensible nor efficient”.
Many younger folks might discover methods round age verification strategies, and a ban would cease them accessing optimistic content material on social media, the report mentioned.
The committee as an alternative known as on the federal government to carry social media firms to account extra successfully.
Members additionally mentioned younger folks needs to be consulted extra usually in discussions round staying secure on-line, saying their expertise and concepts for options had been “very important to shaping actual change”.
“Duty is a really key side of our report,” Wania mentioned.
“And that is what we want from the federal government, from social media firms and from the schooling system.
“We do not want empty guarantees. We want them to take motion, and motion is the one method ahead.”
Further reporting by Vanessa Clarke.
