Making online platforms safer is an issue I’ve been pushing the Government on all year, and I welcome the Government’s Digital Duty of Care draft legislation (DDOC) released this month. While not perfect, this is a positive step forward.

I’ve been working with experts, industry and civil society groups to shape what a strong Digital Duty of Care should look like. My community survey of 1200 Curtin resident responses showed me:

· social media’s impact on family and friends is five times more likely to be negative than positive;
· more than 90 per cent of respondents believed platforms should take responsibility for the long term harms they cause; and
· algorithms and addictive design were the two most significant issues of concern.

Under the Government’s DDOC, all adult users will get a choice between an algorithm- controlled feed (like you see now) or a ‘follower-only’ feed (where you only see content from those you follow).

Platforms will be required to take reasonable steps to protect adults from ‘serious harm’ (mostly illegal content) and children from a wider range of harmful content (such as pornography, eating disorders and misogynistic material). Children will also be protected from harms caused by algorithms and design features, not just content.

I support these reforms but the Government’s proposed DDOC could go further.

Tech companies control what we see on our social media feeds, engineering algorithms to hold our attention to maximise their profits.

I’m concerned that social media companies will be incentivised to make the ‘follower-only’ experience as boring as possible to encourage users to stick with the algorithm which supports advertising and suggested content. Beyond that limited choice, protections for adults barely move the dial. Protection from addictive design should extend to adults, not just children.

The Coalition has raised free-speech concerns about proposed powers for the Minister to add new categories of harm, but these powers could be limited with safeguards.

Penalties - minimal by comparison to the EU and UK – should also be increased.

I’m engaging with the Government in good faith, and I’ll be putting forward amendments to ensure we seize this moment and establish a robust Digital Duty of Care.

We spend much of our lives in online spaces. This is an important opportunity to make social media and digital spaces safer for everyone.

Read more about my proposal for a Digital Duty of Care in my AI Discussion Paper.