Labor scraps controversial ministerial discretion in digital duty of care bill
The federal government has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in proposed new online safety laws and beefed up protections for news content.
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government → scrap → content
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Minister says digital duty of care will require basic standards of big tech
Anika Wells says the government's digital duty of care bill will place the onus of responsibility on big tech companies.
Labor will be introducing its digital duty of care bill to parliament today.
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Labor → submit → parliament
It will require big tech companies to mitigate and protect under 18 users from harmful content on their platforms.
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It → require → platforms
The government's legislation will also give social media users the ability to opt out of the social media algorithm.
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legislation → give → algorithm
But Labor has dropped controversial ministerial powers in the legislation which would have given the minister the power to designate harms.
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which → drop → harms
Asked on ABC News Breakfast if she's worried health information could be caught up in the law, the communications minister says the bill isn't targeting that.
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bill → ask → that
"What I'm worried about is the serious harm that Australian children are suffering on online services, because at the moment we have tech companies live testing their products on Australians, without ever having to go through a basic safety standard," Wells says.
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Wells → worry → standard
Minister says digital duty of care will require basic standards of big tech
Anika Wells says the government's digital duty of care bill will place the onus of responsibility on big tech companies.
Labor will be introducing its digital duty of care bill to parliament today.
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Labor → say → parliament
It will require big tech companies to mitigate and protect under 18 users from harmful content on their platforms.
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It → require → platforms
The government's legislation will also give social media users the ability to opt out of the social media algorithm.
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legislation → give → algorithm
Asked on ABC News Breakfast if she's worried health information could be caught up in the law, the communications minister says the bill isn't targeting that.
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bill → ask → that
"What I'm worried about is the serious harm that Australian children are suffering on online services, because at the moment we have tech companies live testing their products on Australians, without ever having to go through a basic safety standard," Wells says.
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Wells → suffer → standard
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Wells to tell Press Club Australia must shift 'burden' of social media away from victims
Communications Minister Anika Wells will make the case for Labor's proposed new digital safety laws, which would allow Australians to turn off their algorithms on social media.
The "My Feed, My Way" proposal giving people aged over 16 control over what they see in their social media feed is part of the broader digital duty of care Labor is introducing to parliament.
In a speech to the National Press Club later today, Wells will urge the Coalition and crossbench to back the bill arguing the issue came down to a "simple question".
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issue → tell → question
"Do you really think that big tech is on the side of worried parents and vulnerable kids … or are they on the side of their shareholders?" she will say.
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she → think → shareholders
Wells will argue Australia must shift the "burden" from the "shoulders of victims to the companies that are creating the environments where harms occur".
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harms → argue → environments
Under the new laws, tech platforms would be required to take steps to protect Australians under 18 from content and features that are harmful.
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that → require → content
This will include content about eating disorders, glorifying crime or dangerous stunts, pornography or hostile ideas about women and gender equality, as well as abuse and bullying.
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This → include → women
For adults the duty is confined to "serious harms" that are already criminal offences like sexual violence.
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that → confine → violence
Key Event
Labor scraps ministerial discretion in digital duty of care bill
Labor has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in proposed new online safety laws and beefed up protections for news content.
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Labor → scrap → content
The digital duty of care, which would require technology companies to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms, is due to be introduced to parliament today.
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which → require → parliament
Communications Minister Anika Wells has confirmed two key changes to the draft released last month, which she will outline in a speech to the National Press Club later today.
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she → confirm → Club
"In response to concerns we heard during the exposure draft consultation and to make this abundantly clear, we have removed the ministerial rule-making power to define new harms in the final bill," she will say.
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she → hear → bill
New harms can instead be added by parliament through legislative amendment.
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harms → add → amendment
Wells has also clarified protections for journalists and news media so there is now a "carve-out" for professional news material.
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Wells → clarify → material
It's great to have you join us for the final sitting day of the sitting week.
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you → have → week
I'm Josh Boscaini live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's federal politics news.
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You know that digital duty of care bill you've been hearing about for the past few weeks?
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you → know → weeks
Well that will finally be introduced to parliament today.
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that → introduce → parliament
However the government has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in the bill in a bid to help it get over the line in the upper house.
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it → scrap → house
And if you missed it, there was a bit of shenanigans in the Senate yesterday afternoon.
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you → miss → Senate
The upper house voted to discharge a bill to wind down private health insurance rebates for over-65s.
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house → vote → over-65s
Labor has vowed to reintroduce the bill today, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that.
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we → vow → that
Let's get this show on the road!
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show → let → road
The Aporia
