The Tech Council of Australia (TCA), wants to proactively work with Government to ensure any regulation which impacts Australia’s technology sector is fit for purpose.
The TCA represents over 150 tech companies from a diverse cross-section of Australia’s tech sector with companies in enterprise and consumer software, telecommunications, fintech, agritech, data centres, and more. In our membership, 70% are Australian founded or managed. Our vision is for a prosperous Australia that thrives by harnessing the vast potential that technology brings.
The TCA does not represent major social media platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat; nor do we oversee the industry codes related to online safety.
Among the TCA membership, there are varied opinions which are both supportive and critical of the proposition to restrict access to social media platforms to young people.
As an organisation, we encourage social media companies to be accountable for the risks to young users posed by misuse of their platforms, and support the Government’s intent in ensuring Australians of all ages can interact with technology in a trusted environment.
However, the TCA has concerns that the scope of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 (‘the Bill’), as drafted, extends far beyond social media platforms. To delegate all key definitional aspects of the Bill creates significant risk and potential regulatory burden for tech companies, risking chilling effects on innovation across the sector.
We stress the need for well-designed laws that encourage responsible technology adoption and innovation that benefits Australia and all Australians. The tech sector is a key pillar of the Australian economy, contributing $167 billion per annum making it equivalent to the third biggest industry in Australia behind mining and banking. Good legislative design is crucial to supporting our tech sector, which is essential for sustaining growth and maintaining Australia’s leadership in the competitive global digital economy.
Regulations affecting the sector must be thoughtfully crafted to foster innovation and promote long-term national competitiveness. The lack of meaningful industry consultation on the Bill, the broad scope of the bill, and lack of technical details on how the ban will be operationalised is of concern. The TCA has consistently recommended best practice principles for technology regulation, which should not be abrogated for the purpose of parliamentary expediency. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Government to ensure the proposed legislation functions as effectively as possible – to protect young people from online harm and build trust in technology platforms, while encouraging tech adoption and innovation for Australia.
