ReachOut, Beyond Blue and Black Dog Institute today welcome the Federal Government’s landmark decision to implement a new duty of care regulation that will hold social media companies accountable for the safety of their users.
The regulations will place a legal responsibility on social platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms, require continuous risk mitigation and adopt safety-by-design principles.
The decision aligns closely with recommendations outlined in a joint submission made by ReachOut, Beyond Blue and Black Dog Institute advocating for the implementation of safety-by-design.
“Black Dog Institute commends the Federal Government for their open and constructive engagement on this vital issue and for listening to the voices of stakeholders, researchers, and lived experience who are committed to making the online world a safer space,” said Professor Samuel Harvey, Executive Director and Chief Scientist of Black Dog Institute.
“A key step now for Australia is to make sure we are set up to properly evaluate these changes. These changes are being made to improve the mental health of young Australians – we need to embed research and evaluation from the start to understand the effects of these changes and whether they are having their intended impact.”
Gary Groves, CEO of ReachOut, said that the social media duty of care announcement was welcome.
“Young people face a range of harms on social media platforms and the current regulatory approach is largely aimed at addressing these after the fact. Effective reforms targeted at preventing harms before they occur on social media platforms are critically important for the safety and mental health of young people across Australia. The newly announced duty of care regulations have significant potential to proactively improve safety on social media platforms for young people,” she said.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said: “Beyond Blue has long argued that social media companies need to step up and take responsibility for their products, including their inherent harms. With a grounding in safety-by-design principles and a focus on prevention over remediation, this planned legislation will help bring Australia into line with the UK and Europe, and serves as a welcome development in the ongoing effort to address the influence of big tech in our lives.”
The leading mental health organisations look forward to continued collaboration with governments and experts, including parents and young people, in shaping these reforms and working towards comprehensive solutions that safeguard the mental health of Australians online. This commitment will enable future generations to navigate the digital world with improved protection and support, empowering them to connect and share safely.
Image by freepik