Online watchdog eSafety Commission urges YouTube for social media ban
YouTube should be included in a looming social media ban for children, the eSafety commissioner has warned, despite the platform being carved out of the world-first laws.
In a speech to the national Press Club on Tuesday, online safety head Julie Inman Grant will say seven in 10 children between 10 and 15-years-old have encountered harmful content on the internet such as hateful material, violent videos and promotion of eating disorders.
Inman Grant will say research from the eSafety Commission found YouTube was the most cited platform where children had exposure to harmful content, with almost 40 per cent saying they saw dangerous material there.
YouTube will be exempted from a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 when it comes into effect from December, while sites such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be off limits.
The eSafety commissioner said the social media laws needed to be consistent.
'It's almost ubiquitous that kids are on social media. By far, the most prevalent social media site they're on is YouTube,' she told ABC Radio on Tuesday ahead of the address.
'When we asked where they were experiencing harm and the kinds of harms they were experiencing, the most prevalent place where young Australians experienced harm was on YouTube.'
Inman Grant said she was surprised the video-sharing site was not included in the federal government ban, but indicated her role was to enforce the legislation.
She said it was critical the social media ban be able to work effectively .
'We can have a lot of success with this world-leading law. The rest of the world is going to be watching. There's a lot at stake,' she said.
'This is all about placing the onus back on the platforms, where it should be, and making sure that they're are not allowing under-16s from having an account.
'The time has come for them to take more responsibility and this is what the legislation will encourage them to do.'
'AI has created much peril'
Under the ban, social media platforms would be fined up to $50 million if the measures are not enforced.
The eSafety commissioner will also use the speech to the National Press Club to warn about AI chatbots being used by young people online.
Inman Grant said children as young as 10 were being 'captivated' by the AI chatbots, with many of the online tools also being sexualised.
'Schools reported to us these children had been directed by their AI companions to engage in explicit and harmful sexual acts,' she will say in the speech.
'Just as AI has brought us so much promise, it has also created much peril. And these harms aren't just hypothetical, they are taking hold right now.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
What we know about the ceasefire and Iran's attack against the US
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However, in his statements after the US attacked Iranian nuclear sites, Trump warned Iran he would attack other sites if peace was not brokered swiftly. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' he said in an address from the White House. It is worth noting that Trump has previously given misleading information publicly before launching an attack. Before striking Iran on Sunday, Trump said he would decide within the next two weeks on the United States' next move, which was used to create a false sense of security ahead of the American attack. How did the attack impacting flights? The missile attack has forced planes to turn around mid-flight and necessitated the cancellation of some journeys. Qatar closed its airspace for a couple of hours after the strike but reopened it shortly after 7am AEST. The Gulf state's carrier Qatar Airways said it anticipated 'significant delays'.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Australia hails ceasefire, but Iran says no deal (yet)
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Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that a "complete and total ceasefire" had been "fully agreed" by Israel and Iran. He wrote an initial 24-hour ceasefire period, which would progressively begin after any already in-progress attacks finished, would mark "an official end to the 12-day war". But Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi disputed the ceasefire on the social media site X. "As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," he wrote. "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later." A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline's scheduled services to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways, were expected to operate later with delays. "We are working closely with our partner, Qatar Airways to support passengers that have been impacted," they said. A Qantas spokesman said their Perth to London flight had been diverted to Singapore, while Perth to Paris was returning to Western Australia. "We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required," he said. US bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs on three Iranian underground nuclear sites one the weekend, joining Israel's conflict against Iran. In response, Iran targeted the Al-Udeid US air base in Qatar with "powerful" retaliatory missiles on Monday night, local time. Qatar's government successfully intercepted the missile attack and no deaths or injuries were recorded. Foreign Minister Penny Wong earlier condemned Iran's attack. "We do not want to see further escalation," she wrote on X. "A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world." US military officials said none of its bases in Iraq were targeted, although a malfunctioning Iranian missile aimed at Israel triggered an alert in Iraq earlier in the day. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said a ceasefire was a "vital step" for preventing further suffering, while condemning Iran for its strike. "Australia must always stand firmly with our allies and partners, including the United States, in the face of such aggression," she said. Senator Wong urged Australians travelling abroad to register with Smartraveller. Mr Albanese on Monday publicly supported the US intervention in Iran's west, saying Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The government is still trying to evacuate about 3000 Australians registered for assistance to depart Iran and more than 1000 in Israel. Australia is backing Donald Trump's claim to have set up a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which is expected to allow airlines to go ahead with scheduled flights. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday welcomed the news posted by Mr Trump on social media that a ceasefire would take effect within hours following 12 days of conflict. "We have consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation," Mr Albanese said. "The safety of Australians in the region is our priority. "We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and are deeply concerned about keeping Australians safe." Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that a "complete and total ceasefire" had been "fully agreed" by Israel and Iran. He wrote an initial 24-hour ceasefire period, which would progressively begin after any already in-progress attacks finished, would mark "an official end to the 12-day war". But Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi disputed the ceasefire on the social media site X. "As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," he wrote. "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later." A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline's scheduled services to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways, were expected to operate later with delays. "We are working closely with our partner, Qatar Airways to support passengers that have been impacted," they said. A Qantas spokesman said their Perth to London flight had been diverted to Singapore, while Perth to Paris was returning to Western Australia. "We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required," he said. US bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs on three Iranian underground nuclear sites one the weekend, joining Israel's conflict against Iran. In response, Iran targeted the Al-Udeid US air base in Qatar with "powerful" retaliatory missiles on Monday night, local time. Qatar's government successfully intercepted the missile attack and no deaths or injuries were recorded. Foreign Minister Penny Wong earlier condemned Iran's attack. "We do not want to see further escalation," she wrote on X. "A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world." US military officials said none of its bases in Iraq were targeted, although a malfunctioning Iranian missile aimed at Israel triggered an alert in Iraq earlier in the day. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said a ceasefire was a "vital step" for preventing further suffering, while condemning Iran for its strike. "Australia must always stand firmly with our allies and partners, including the United States, in the face of such aggression," she said. Senator Wong urged Australians travelling abroad to register with Smartraveller. Mr Albanese on Monday publicly supported the US intervention in Iran's west, saying Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The government is still trying to evacuate about 3000 Australians registered for assistance to depart Iran and more than 1000 in Israel. Australia is backing Donald Trump's claim to have set up a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which is expected to allow airlines to go ahead with scheduled flights. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday welcomed the news posted by Mr Trump on social media that a ceasefire would take effect within hours following 12 days of conflict. "We have consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation," Mr Albanese said. "The safety of Australians in the region is our priority. "We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and are deeply concerned about keeping Australians safe." Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that a "complete and total ceasefire" had been "fully agreed" by Israel and Iran. He wrote an initial 24-hour ceasefire period, which would progressively begin after any already in-progress attacks finished, would mark "an official end to the 12-day war". But Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi disputed the ceasefire on the social media site X. "As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," he wrote. "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later." A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline's scheduled services to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways, were expected to operate later with delays. "We are working closely with our partner, Qatar Airways to support passengers that have been impacted," they said. A Qantas spokesman said their Perth to London flight had been diverted to Singapore, while Perth to Paris was returning to Western Australia. "We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required," he said. US bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs on three Iranian underground nuclear sites one the weekend, joining Israel's conflict against Iran. In response, Iran targeted the Al-Udeid US air base in Qatar with "powerful" retaliatory missiles on Monday night, local time. Qatar's government successfully intercepted the missile attack and no deaths or injuries were recorded. Foreign Minister Penny Wong earlier condemned Iran's attack. "We do not want to see further escalation," she wrote on X. "A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world." US military officials said none of its bases in Iraq were targeted, although a malfunctioning Iranian missile aimed at Israel triggered an alert in Iraq earlier in the day. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said a ceasefire was a "vital step" for preventing further suffering, while condemning Iran for its strike. "Australia must always stand firmly with our allies and partners, including the United States, in the face of such aggression," she said. Senator Wong urged Australians travelling abroad to register with Smartraveller. Mr Albanese on Monday publicly supported the US intervention in Iran's west, saying Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The government is still trying to evacuate about 3000 Australians registered for assistance to depart Iran and more than 1000 in Israel.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
WATCH LIVE: Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant fronts National Press Club as social media ban for under-16s looms
Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is addressing the National Press Club as the government prepares to roll out its social media ban for under 16s. The ban was passed through the parliament in November last year, but a 12 month delay was written into the legislation. Ms Inman Grant recently said she was "surprised" by the Albanese government's decision to carve out YouTube from the social media ban. An exemption was given after Sky News reported on the potential consequences of a YouTube ban on educational content providers. "My job isn't to endorse the legislation. It's to enforce the rules," Ms Inman Grant told the ABC on Tuesday. The legislation will make it illegal for children under 16 to access banned platforms unless they meet specific age verification criteria. Social media companies will be threatened with $50 million fines for systematic failure to enforce the ban. Platforms will bear the onus of responsibility, and no penalties will be enforced against underage users who bypass the restrictions. The ban will come into effect 12 months after the legislation passed parliament in November 2024 and will not be grandfathered in. This will impact millions of children and teenagers as some 97 per cent of youth use social media across an average of four platforms, surveys show.
