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.

Adolescents are now the most common perpetrators of child sexual abuse, according to new Australian research published in the International Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect.

"Even with all my experience, all my knowledge, all my protective measures and the amazing relationship I have with my daughter, I was still unable to stop her from being exposed to pornography at a too young age."

The following account was shared with us by a parent via our Kids Exposed page. 

Children are routinely exposed to porn. At school, on the school bus, the school camp, the sleepover at a friend’s house. It can happen at home too – and even when they aren’t searching for it, porn will find them. That’s the business model of the global porn industry – to build the next generation of consumers.

Despite a solid body of evidence now on the many ways early porn exposure harms our young people, the Federal Government has refused to implement a trial of an age verification system as one obstacle in the way of children being exposed. A pilot program was recommended by its own eSafety Commissioner – but the Government, which is supposed to care about its most vulnerable citizens – said no.

We don’t accept that. And we know the majority of Australian parents don’t either. We think our Government needs to hear the devastating stories of Australian parents whose children were exposed. Are you one of them? If so, please tell us:

• How did porn find your child?
• How was your child affected?
• What did it mean for you and your family?

We will get your stories to the Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and demand urgent action to protect our kids. 

Dr Johanna Lynch, GP, Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland and President of Australian Society for Psychological Medicine has sent a desperate plea to Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.