Social Media Regulation

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (14:22): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about how the Malinauskas government plans to reduce online harm to kids?

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:23): I hope they are all over 14. We made a really important announcement on the weekend that this state government is determined to pursue a rather ambitious change to the regulation of social media in our state. We have seen a dramatic increase in a whole range of mental health-related illnesses associated with young people excessively using social media in a number of ways, with social media being used to cause harm, and even the excessive use of social media causing harm in and of itself.

We have announced that we intend to deliver a reform that is consistent with what the state of Florida has been able to achieve, by making it illegal for social media companies to have people under the age of 14 garner social media accounts for themselves; for 14 year olds and 15 year olds, they require parental consent. This will be complex in terms of its delivery, both technologically and legally.

There are significant restraints, obviously, on powers between the states and the commonwealth. The commonwealth ostensibly has most of the powers associated with media and communications. That is why we have engaged probably the best legal mind in the country—a legal mind that is well regarded on both sides of the political divide—in former Chief Justice Robert French, who will provide advice to the government on how best to deliver on that policy.

Since our announcement, I am happy to report that I have been in touch with a number of other state leaders from other jurisdictions who have expressed an interest in paying close attention to, if not actively engaging with, what we are seeking to achieve here in South Australia.

I also want to take the opportunity to note the support that the Leader of the Opposition has indicated that he is willing to provide to the policy. I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for that. Given the Leader of the Opposition's support, once we get reports back we will then seek to engage with the opposition ahead of obviously the introduction of any legislation, should indeed that be the case.

Our motivations here are simply the interests of young people. There is no more precious resource than the future generations of our state. There is no higher obligation on people in this place than preserving and protecting young people from harm where that can be achieved. Governments and parliaments around the world have always regulated, or curtailed access to those products and services that we know have the potential to do young people harm. I think we now have enough evidence to suggest the need is there to do the same with respect to social media.

The mobile phone ban that has been introduced in schools in the State of South Australia, as a national first, has already made a difference, with a 29 per cent reduction in violence within our schools as a result of that policy change. We see an opportunity to do something similar here on a potentially even greater scale. This is an important piece of work. It should not be seen as being ideological; it is only logical and that is why we are so determined to deliver it, notwithstanding the challenges, the headwinds and the hurdles that we will have to confront as we take on these tech giants. Our young people deserve this. We have an obligation to deliver it to them and that is exactly what we are going to do.