Live: Labor scraps controversial ministerial discretion in digital duty of care bill

live Federal politics live: Labor scraps controversial ministerial discretion in digital duty of care bill The federal government has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in proposed new online safety laws and beefed up protections for news content. Follow all the updates in our live blog. Submit a comment or question Live updates New: Filters Choose what information you see below by using filters Minister says digital duty of care will require basic standards of big tech Anika Wells says the government's digital duty of care bill will place the onus of responsibility on big tech companies. Labor will be introducing its digital duty of care bill to parliament today. It will require big tech companies to mitigate and protect under 18 users from harmful content on their platforms. The government's legislation will also give social media users the ability to opt out of the social media algorithm. But Labor has dropped controversial ministerial powers in the legislation which would have given the minister the power to designate harms. Asked on ABC News Breakfast if she's worried health information could be caught up in the law, the communications minister says the bill isn't targeting that. "What I'm worried about is the serious harm that Australian children are suffering on online services, because at the moment we have tech companies live testing their products on Australians, without ever having to go through a basic safety standard," Wells says. "It's basic safety standards that every other industry is already subject to it." Minister says digital duty of care will require basic standards of big tech Anika Wells says the government's digital duty of care bill will place the onus of responsibility on big tech companies. Labor will be introducing its digital duty of care bill to parliament today. It will require big tech companies to mitigate and protect under 18 users from harmful content on their platforms. The government's legislation will also give social media users the ability to opt out of the social media algorithm. Asked on ABC News Breakfast if she's worried health information could be caught up in the law, the communications minister says the bill isn't targeting that. "What I'm worried about is the serious harm that Australian children are suffering on online services, because at the moment we have tech companies live testing their products on Australians, without ever having to go through a basic safety standard," Wells says. "It's basic safety standards that every other industry is already subject to it." Wells to tell Press Club Australia must shift 'burden' of social media away from victims Communications Minister Anika Wells will make the case for Labor's proposed new digital safety laws, which would allow Australians to turn off their algorithms on social media. The "My Feed, My Way" proposal giving people aged over 16 control over what they see in their social media feed is part of the broader digital duty of care Labor is introducing to parliament. In a speech to the National Press Club later today, Wells will urge the Coalition and crossbench to back the bill arguing the issue came down to a "simple question". "Do you really think that big tech is on the side of worried parents and vulnerable kids … or are they on the side of their shareholders?" she will say. Wells will argue Australia must shift the "burden" from the "shoulders of victims to the companies that are creating the environments where harms occur". Under the new laws, tech platforms would be required to take steps to protect Australians under 18 from content and features that are harmful. This will include content about eating disorders, glorifying crime or dangerous stunts, pornography or hostile ideas about women and gender equality, as well as abuse and bullying. For adults the duty is confined to "serious harms" that are already criminal offences like sexual violence. Key Event Labor scraps ministerial discretion in digital duty of care bill Labor has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in proposed new online safety laws and beefed up protections for news content. The digital duty of care, which would require technology companies to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms, is due to be introduced to parliament today. Communications Minister Anika Wells has confirmed two key changes to the draft released last month, which she will outline in a speech to the National Press Club later today. "In response to concerns we heard during the exposure draft consultation and to make this abundantly clear, we have removed the ministerial rule-making power to define new harms in the final bill," she will say. New harms can instead be added by parliament through legislative amendment. Wells has also clarified protections for journalists and news media so there is now a "carve-out" for professional news material. Good morning 👋 Hello and welcome to our federal politics live blog! It's great to have you join us for the final sitting day of the sitting week. I'm Josh Boscaini live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's federal politics news. You know that digital duty of care bill you've been hearing about for the past few weeks? Well that will finally be introduced to parliament today. However the government has scrapped controversial ministerial powers in the bill in a bid to help it get over the line in the upper house. And if you missed it, there was a bit of shenanigans in the Senate yesterday afternoon. The upper house voted to discharge a bill to wind down private health insurance rebates for over-65s. Labor has vowed to reintroduce the bill today, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that. Let's get this show on the road! Loading