MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday.
“The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on digital platforms to proactively keep Australians safe and better prevent online harms,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement.
The proposed changes to the Online Safety Act were announced before the government next week introduces to Parliament world-first legislation that would ban children younger than 16 from platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Critics have argued that removing children from social media reduced incentives for platforms to provide safer online environments.
Social media has been blamed for an increase in children taking their own lives and developing eating disorders due to bulling and exposures to negative body images.
Rowland said making tech companies legally responsible for keeping Australians safe was an approach already adopted by Britain and the European Union.
Digital businesses would be required to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms and services. The duty of care framework would be underpinned by risk assessment and risk mitigation, and informed by safety-by-design principles, the minister said.
Legislating a duty of care would mean services can’t “set and forget.” Instead, their obligations would mean they need to continually identify and mitigate potential risks, as technology and service offerings change and evolve, she said.
The categories of harm in the legislation include harm to young people and mental well-being, promotion of harmful practices and illegal activity.
The government has not said when the duty of care legislation will be introduced to Parliament or outlined the punishment for breaches.
The Digital Industry Group Inc., an advocate for the digital industry in Australia better known as DIGI, welcomed government efforts to “future-proof” the Online Safety Act.
“DIGI’s members together represent some of the safest sections of the Internet, and their work to keep people safe on their services never stops,” DIGI managing director Sunita Bose said in a statement.
“While we wait for further details about this announcement, DIGI’s members will continue to deliver safety-by-design on their services and work constructively with the government to keep Australians safe online,” Bose added.
Swinburne University digital media expert Belinda Barnet described the duty of care as a “great idea.”
“It’s quite pioneering to expect that platforms that host Australian users would have a duty of care responsibility in terms of the content they show and the experiences they offer,” Barnet said.
“It’s making the platforms take responsibility and that just simply doesn’t happen at the moment. There’s an assumption that they’re a neutral third party. They’re not responsible for the impact of that content,” Barnet added.
A school girl holds her phone while crossing a street in Sydney, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
A teenage boy uses his phone in Sydney, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
A teenage girl uses her phone to access social media in Sydney, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Matt Eberflus insisted he takes responsibility for the Chicago Bears' failures on offense.
He also realizes he's on his third play-caller in 2 1/2 seasons as coach after firing an offensive coordinator for the second time in 10 months. He let Shane Waldron go this week and promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, hoping he can solve the problems and get the most out of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
“I take full accountability for that,” Eberflus said Wednesday, a day after the Bears announced the change. “I take full responsibility for that, and it’s got to get better. It’s gotta get better. The details of creativity have to improve and it’s got to improve this week.”
Waldron lasted just nine games after he was hired in January to replace the fired Luke Getsy. Brown takes over an offense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL.
The Bears are averaging fewer yards per game than only two teams. New England is one of them, and the Patriots beat Chicago 19-3 at Soldier Field on Sunday.
“I’m not really looking into quick fixes," Brown said. "I want long-term solutions to kind of get us going in the right direction. The goal again is to have success and have success immediately. I’m not doing anything to be a loser or have a loser’s mentality. My players don’t either.”
Williams was looking forward to seeing how the offense performs with Brown calling the plays.
“I think we’ll do a good job of marrying everything up together, making everything look the same,” Williams said. “And then from there, you’ll get a few easier passes, a few extra layups. I think it’ll help us in the run game. I think it’ll help us in the pass game being able to do that. And then, I think from there it provides a little bit more explosiveness for us as an offense.”
The Bears have gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. It’s been 23 consecutive possessions without a TD since they scored in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when they lost on a Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels.
The offense has two touchdowns in 34 drives in the three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears won three in a row prior to their off week, and Williams and the offense looked as if they were finding their rhythm, even if they were doing it against struggling teams.
Players expressed frustration about the offense to Eberflus. But he insisted they didn't call for any firings.
“I don’t think anybody really asked for (Waldron) to be gone,” receiver DJ Moore said. “We expressed our frustration, but never to have somebody’s livelihood taken away. I mean, it’s hard, but on to Thomas, and we got his back.”
Brown was hired as Chicago's passing game coordinator after interviewing for the job that went to Waldron. He's now in a familiar spot, taking over play-calling duties during the season and doing it with a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback.
Carolina's offensive coordinator last season, Brown took over play-calling duties from coach Frank Reich, who eventually took them back before he was fired with the Panthers at 1-10 and quarterback Bryce Young struggling.
Brown is now working with Williams, who seemed to be progressing before taking steps back during this skid. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was sacked nine times against New England and acknowledged he's been holding onto the ball too long at times.
“I took a few sacks that I shouldn’t have," Williams said. "I think that getting back to getting the ball out of my hands, being decisive is really important. That needs to start now.”
As for the decision to fire Waldron?
“I don’t get to choose the decisions, nor do I get to choose whether the decision is good, bad or indifferent," he said. "My job is to listen and from there go do my job.”
Notes: The Bears released veteran G Nate Davis even though they are banged up on the line, after signing him to a three-year, $30 million contract prior to last season. Davis reported back tightness on Sunday morning and was sent home prior to the game. He started 13 of the 16 games he played in for Chicago. He dealt with a lingering groin injury during training camp that popped up again after he started the first two games, and then fell on the depth chart.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks down as he listens to reporters during an NFL football news conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown reacts as he listens to reporters during an NFL football news conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown smiles as he listens to reporters during an NFL football news conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus speaks during an NFL football news conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus listens to reporters during an NFL football news conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
