Prime Minister Scott Morrison to launch government inquiry into social media giants

Social media giants and the toxic harms they inflict on Australians will be put under the microscope in a major new government inquiry.

Social media giants and the toxic harms platforms like Facebook and TikTok inflict on Australians will be put under the microscope in a major new government inquiry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce the wide-ranging inquiry on Wednesday, saying “mums and dads were rightly concerned” about whether Big Tech was “doing enough to keep their kids safe online”.

“Big tech has big questions to answer,” he said.

What harm is being inflicted through the use of social media will be a focus of the inquiry, with the government signalling the platforms were partly to blame for a rise in mental ill health among young people.

How the closely-guarded algorithms used by social media platforms like TikTok are increasing or reducing those harms will also be investigated.

The inquiry will also look into whether the safety features put in place by Big Tech are effective at keeping users, particularly children, safe online and whether or not social media companies are being transparent and open about what harm their platforms are causing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce a major new government inquiry into social media giants on Wednesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

This comes after former Facebook employee turned whistleblower Frances Haugen released a cache of internal documents and alleged the company’s policies prioritised profit over public safety.

The government-led committee handling the inquiry will call upon Ms Haugen to give evidence and also intends to invite major Australian identities that have been targeted by trolls online, including AFL star Tayla Harris and Erin Molan, to have their say.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the inquiry would give organisation and individuals an “opportunity to air their concerns” and for big tech to “account for its own conduct”.

“This inquiry will be a very important opportunity to examine the practices of these companies — and whether more needs to be done (to regulate social media),” he said.

The government signalled social media companies couldn’t be “trusted” to act in the best interests of children, so instead they would be “forced” to.

The committee has been asked to publish its findings by February 15, 2022.

Establishment of the inquiry comes after the Morrison government this week announced world-first laws that would give Australian courts the power to order social media giants to identify trolls or risk incurring hefty defamation payouts.

The proposed “Anti-Trolling” laws will be released on Wednesday as an exposure draft for public consultation.

The inquiry and the proposed laws are reminiscent of the Online Safety Bill currently working its way through the UK parliament after being introduced in May this year.

Originally published as Prime Minister Scott Morrison to launch government inquiry into social media giants