Online safety inquiry hears competing warnings about harm and free speech

A Senate inquiry into proposed digital duty-of-care legislation has heard calls for stronger child protections alongside warnings about vague definitions and excessive moderation. The bill would place safety responsibilities on a wide range of online services, including social media, games, search tools and AI chatbots.

Some senators and technology companies argued that broad categories of harmful content could lead platforms to remove legitimate debate to avoid penalties. They questioned how provisions concerning hostile attitudes towards women and other risks would operate in practice. Those are concerns about a proposed law, not evidence that a new ban has already begun.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has said the proposal would not prevent Australians from listening to manosphere podcasts. Supporters argue the issue is safer product design and management of risks, rather than a prohibition on expressing particular views.

Bereaved parents told the inquiry that existing protections had failed their families and urged action. Their accounts form part of the evidence before parliament, alongside industry and civil-liberties submissions. The inquiry has not settled the final wording, scope or enforcement of the legislation, and competing claims about its effects remain contested.