Australia’s top political leaders doubled down on plans to ban social media access for children under 16, showing rare unity on the issue ahead of the May 3 election even as pressure from tech giants is expected to mount.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton have reaffirmed their support for Australia’s upcoming ban on social media access for children under 16, despite expected pressure from major tech companies.
During a televised election debate ahead of the May 3 national vote, both leaders expressed strong bipartisan backing for the new restrictions, set to begin in December. The law will limit under- 16s' use of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, and require tech firms to pay for hosting Australian news content.
Albanese said he anticipates lobbying efforts from social media giants as the enforcement date nears but emphasized that his government will not back down. He called the ban a "world-leading" measure.
Dutton echoed this stance, describing the opposition coalition as fully aligned with Labor on the issue. He criticized tech companies for exploiting young users and stressed the need to hold them accountable.
The debate panel declared Dutton the winner of the night’s exchange, although current polls show him trailing Albanese, with cost-of-living and housing remaining top concerns for voters.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia’s policies had encouraged antisemitism after a shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed at least 11 people.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The possibility of restricting social media access for children is a hot topic in the European Union and the United Kingdom, after Australia implemented a world-first ban for those under 16. Lawmakers have labelled the ban a “real-world test” of how far governments can go to protect young people.
Wildfires swept through thousands of hectares of bushland in New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday, prompting authorities to issue top-level evacuation warnings for thousands of residents in the country’s most populous state.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova says the Kyiv authorities have still not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of Ukrainian children it claims were illegally taken to Russia, despite the issue being raised during talks in Istanbul.
France has called on the European Union to postpone a planned vote on the long-negotiated trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, citing insufficient safeguards for European farmers.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
At least 14 people have died and 32 others were injured after flash floods swept through Morocco’s Atlantic coastal city of Safi on Sunday, authorities said.
At least 16 people have been killed and around 40 others wounded after a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a public Hanukkah celebration, Australian police said, confirming the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia’s policies had encouraged antisemitism after a shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed at least 11 people.
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