The Coalition has blocked reforms to the under-16s social media ban aimed at targeting tech giants who allow children to access their platforms, kicking off a fierce debate. The proposed changes would double fines for tech companies to $99 million, and force them to hand over documents to the online safety watchdog. But the reforms have been put on hold for at least eight weeks, after Coalition senators sided with the Greens to block the bill.
Albanese Urges Backflip as Government Slams Delay
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged the Liberal Party to backflip on its decision, with the government saying the move to block enhanced watchdog powers was made with “no compassion at all” for parents of kids who have died by suicide after being abused online. A fiery debate erupted on Sunrise on Friday as Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume defended her party’s decision.
“The legislation was introduced yesterday, at the end of the last sitting fortnight of this term,” Hume said. “Now, we’re not in Parliament for the next six weeks. Why not use that time to make sure that this legislation is right, that it’s going to work this time? Because it didn’t work last time.” The Opposition is pushing the changes into an eight-week inquiry, arguing Senate scrutiny is vital.
Minister Calls Bill 'Straightforward' Amid Coalition Pushback
But Health Minister Mark Butler says the legislation is simple and does not require such scrutiny. “This is a straightforward 500-word bill that they’ve kicked off to an eight-week inquiry. At that rate, they’ll be analysing 10 words every day, and that includes the prepositions,” Butler said on Sunrise. Hume snapped back: “It was never going to pass yesterday, you didn’t even ask us to pass it yesterday.”
Hume also took aim at Minister for Communications Anika Wells, arguing that while Wells seeks more power to penalise tech giants for breaches, she is yet to use her current powers to enforce fines. “She says she wants more, bigger penalties for the tech giants. Well, she hasn’t even used the ones that she’s got,” Hume said. Butler hit back, saying the government is currently taking action against social media companies. “There are five active investigations underway into the biggest platform providers,” Butler said.
Grieving Parents Treated 'With Utter Contempt'
Butler called the Coalition’s move to block the reforms “absolutely pathetic” and brought up a grieving father who lobbied for the new laws to be passed in Canberra this week. Earlier this week, Wells relayed a reaction from Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son Mac died by suicide after being sexually exploited through a social media platform, saying Opposition Leader Angus Taylor had “no compassion at all”. “The Coalition sold out Australian kids ... giving them at least two more months to sharpen their legal strategy to get rid of documents,” Wells told parliament. “(They) have treated those parents with utter contempt.”
Concerns Over Evidence Destruction and Ongoing Harm
The government is also voicing concerns that any delay to the reforms will give tech giants an opportunity to destroy evidence that could be used against them under tightened rules. “The only people now who are going to be laughing, frankly, are the big tech companies and their lawyers who are going to use the time to continue to evade their obligations,” Butler said. Opposition communications spokesperson Sarah Henderson rejected the assertion that tech giants would be shredding evidence now that they have been given two months before the Senate hands down its report. “I don’t think there’s a shredder in a Google or Yahoo or any other major company; they’re all digital documents,” she said.
The ban on under-16s using social media was raced through parliament with bipartisan support in December 2025, but while the latest proposed reforms were similarly rushed into parliament, they did not receive the same reception as the initial legislation. As the fiery debate continues, young Australians show only small signs of slowing their exposure to social media. More than four in five Australians under the age of 16 are still on social media, according to research by the British Medical Journal. Regulating social media algorithms or moving against virtual private networks (VPNs) which let users dodge Australian restrictions, banning live streaming, adding night-time curfews and limiting infinite scrolling have all been flagged as further options by Opposition senators. Henderson said kids were still being harmed and hooked by algorithms even with the current ban in place.
