The Liberal MPs threatening to vote against Dutton on teen ban

Moderate Liberal MPs Bridget Archer and Richard Colbeck have threatened to vote against the teen social media ban that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton wants to ram through the parliament with Labor, underscoring doubts about a hasty bipartisan deal.

Archer and Colbeck would join far-right senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic, who told a Coalition party room meeting they would definitely vote against the bill. Labor’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland claimed the laws exposed an opposition split.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has staked a big part of Labor’s end-of-year agenda on the ambitious bid to improve teen mental health by blocking them from apps such as Instagram and TikTok. Dutton, who proposed the ban earlier this year, has backed the government.

But several Coalition MPs have expressed concerns about censorship or the workability of Labor’s bill, which experts have described as rushed.

Archer, Colbeck, Antic and Canavan told colleagues of their intentions at a party room meeting in which Dutton announced “exceptional” concessions, first reported by this masthead, from Labor to guard against a digital ID that conservatives oppose.

Dutton said opposition communications spokesman David Coleman had shown “intellect and experience” in developing the policy – unlike Labor.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“Families are deeply disturbed by what children were seeing online,” Dutton told the party room, while Coleman argued the ban was not a silver bullet but worth trying in the same way as underage drinking laws.

The Coalition’s formal support for the bill was confirmed in the long party room meeting in which more than 20 MPs spoke about the ban, paving the way for the law to pass before parliament rises for the year. If an early election is called next year, parliament may not return.

MPs including shadow assistant minister Paul Scarr, Canavan and Antic expressed concern about rushing the bill. Many others, including long-time advocate MP Andrew Wallace, spoke in favour.

Rowland told Labor’s caucus on Monday that the bill would ensure tech platforms “cannot compel people to hand over their ID”, warning of division inside the Coalition.

Detail about how the age ban would be enforced is not included in the bill and Labor has not fully started a trial into age verification tools, leaving a vacuum of information on how the model would work.

Ideas on how to keep teens off apps include forcing app stores to check a person’s age or giving a third-party group authority to check ID and give people online tokens to create accounts.

MPs were given only three hours to scrutinise the bill in a condensed inquiry on Monday. Experts who appeared at the inquiry were mixed in their views on the extent of social disharmony and mental ill health caused by teens’ use of social media.

Leaders of mental health group Headspace said being online affected teen’s self-worth but the communities they could discover on digital platforms were also invaluable.

Clinical psychologist Danielle Einstein, whose research is in the intersection between technology use and mental health, said the few studies used by social media advocates were flawed, outdated and being used to make disingenuous claims.

She added that schools were becoming more hostile places as teens took the easier option of making connections online and shunning real-world interactions.

“I don’t think the evidence actually shows benefit [of social media for mental health] when you look really carefully,” she said.

Canavan asked a representative for Meta and other social platforms, Digital Industry Group Inc’s Sunita Bose, whether Australians could get around the laws by using a VPN to make it appear they were in another country. Bose said this was “certainly” a risk.

“I reckon my 10-year-old could figure it out,” Canavan said. “It’s great we are rushing this.”

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