Meta collected sensitive information from around 980,000 domestic users in South Korea through their Facebook profiles, said Seoul's data watchdog
AFP

Australia is planning to take a significant step to protect its citizens from online harm by imposing a Digital Duty of Care on tech giants.

This legal obligation would require companies like Meta, Google, and X to proactively keep Australians safe and prevent instances of online bullying and predatory behavior, apart from stopping algorithms from spreading harmful content.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement on Thursday that, "The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on digital platforms to proactively keep Australians safe and better prevent online harms," ABC reported.

The move comes as the Albanese administration plans to present the proposed legislation banning children under 16 from social media platforms to the Parliament next week.

However, critics believe companies feel demotivated to crack down on harmful content if kids are banned altogether from social media. But, the government still wants the tech giants to be held accountable for any misuse of their platforms that contributes to child suicides or the development of eating disorders.

"What's required is a shift away from reacting to harms by relying on content regulation alone, and moving towards systems-based prevention, accompanied by a broadening of our perspective of what online harms are," Rowland said in a speech.

Tech behemoths like Meta, Google, and X are required under Australia's new Digital Duty of Care law to safeguard consumers from harm while they are online. Currently, in force in the U.K. and the E.U., this law requires digital businesses to regularly perform risk assessments in order to identify harmful content, including criminal activity, harm to young people, and harm to mental wellbeing.

Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI), a prominent voice for Australia's digital sector, rallied their support behind the government's attempts to "future-proof" the Online Safety Act.

"DIGI's members together represent some of the safest sections of the Internet, and their work to keep people safe on their services never stops," DIGI managing director Sunita Bose said in a statement.