Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Apple chief executive Tim Cook at the company’s Cupertino headquarters on Saturday, urging Apple and other platform providers to embed safety tools that would enforce the Australia under-16 social media ban and to cooperate on forthcoming artificial‑intelligence standards.
The meeting, announced during Albanese’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly, signals a shift from a purely legislative approach to a collaborative model that asks tech firms to build safeguards directly into their services. The government is preparing to table a draft “duty of care” bill that would require platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to offer algorithmic opt‑out options, assess risks to minors and respond promptly to requests from the eSafety Commissioner.
Australia’s 2023 law that bars users under 16 from major social‑media platforms has not stopped teenagers from using Instagram or TikTok. Data released last month showed continued growth in teen activity on both apps despite the ban. The eSafety Commissioner has already used expanded powers to compel platforms to provide user information to regulators, a practice highlighted in recent reporting.
In a post on Sunday, 9 September, Albanese praised Apple’s “strong and intuitive controls” that could let parents manage access, saying the company’s cooperation is essential for the framework to work in practice. Apple has not disclosed the technical details of those controls or confirmed whether they will be rolled out globally.
The broader digital agenda includes AI regulation. Albanese announced that Australia will publish a set of AI standards by the end of 2024, warning that unchecked systems could act beyond human control. Officials say the standards will cover risk assessment, transparency and accountability, and will be enforced through existing bodies such as the eSafety Commissioner.
Industry groups have welcomed the collaborative tone but caution that the duty‑of‑care obligations could require significant product redesigns. An Instagram spokesperson said the company is reviewing the draft legislation and will work with regulators to align any new safety features with global policies. TikTok’s Australian office noted that algorithmic opt‑out options would need to be built into the app’s core experience, potentially affecting user‑engagement metrics and advertising revenue.
Child‑welfare advocates argue that partnership with tech firms could speed the rollout of protective tools, but they stress the need for clear legal accountability. “Voluntary cooperation is valuable, but it must be backed by enforceable duties,” one advocate said.
The next step is a formal introduction of the draft duty‑of‑care bill to Parliament later this year, after a consultation period that includes tech firms, industry bodies and civil‑society groups. The outcome will determine whether Australia’s under‑16 ban evolves into a shared‑responsibility model between regulators and the tech sector, or whether further legislative action will be needed to protect children online and to govern emerging AI technologies.