There are a few claims being made - even on our socials - that are critical of the Government's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024.

We want to correct them.

‘Australia’s social media age minimum will reduce the online harms that are affecting young people…And it will stop social media companies from continuing to use predatory business practices to take advantage of vulnerable young people’

Andrew Leigh, MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasuries and Employment and member for Fraser, ACT, has written a significant essay explaining the rationale behind the Government’s move to implement raising the age of access to social media to 16, which we have supported. The essay was published by Jonathan Haidt, prominent social psychologist and author of the best-seller ‘The Anxious Generation’, on Substack yesterday. We thought it warranted an even wider audience so have extracted some key elements here. You can find the full piece here: (subscriber only – but you can sign up to Haidt’s ‘After Babel’ newsletter for free – here. 

Children should not be required to build capacity to keep themselves safe: Committee recommendations draw from our evidence

Collective Shout welcomes the final report of the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society which examines the influence of social media on users’ health and wellbeing. Collective Shout’s submission to the inquiry and Movement Director, Melinda Tankard Resist’s evidence before a public hearing were cited in the final report titled: Social media: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Movement Director Melinda Tankard Reist addressed the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society this week, arguing in support of age verification for social media platforms. Our participation in the inquiry attracted national media coverage – you can read some highlights below.

Age assurance technology could help enforce raising the age of social media access from 13 to 16

Collective Shout movement director Melinda Tankard Reist, who has been campaigning the Australian government to implement age verification for years to stop children being exposed to pornography, said while the technology was still evolving, the $6.5m trial should be commenced without delay.

For more than 10 years we have been campaigning for politicians to take serious action regarding young people's exposure to pornography. We had a big win recently with the Federal Government finally committing to an age verification trial. 

In the lead up to the Government's announcement our Movement Director Melinda Tankard Reist was interviewed on ABC Radio to discuss the links between porn and violence against women and the impact this is having on young people. Listen here. 

For over a decade we have been campaigning and asking you, our supporters, to take action. We had a big win this week with the Federal Government reversing its earlier decision against an age verification pilot to help protect kids from p*rn. We fought this harmful and irresponsible decision.

As part of our campaign to get the Government to change its mind, we spearheaded this Open Letter and asked leading women's safety, child protection and prominent Australians to sign.

Today we want to take a moment to thank them all by name. We believe this letter and the rising outcry over violence against women, served as a tipping point.

Emergency national cabinet meeting tomorrow must address porn as a driver of violence 

In response to a rising tide of violence against women – including a spate of recent homicides - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said we need to “change culture” if we are to prevent this violence. He has called an emergency meeting of State Premiers and Chief Ministers tomorrow to respond to the crisis.