Australia vs Social Media

When Australia passed its world-first law setting a minimum age for social media, the headlines were global - but the experts were divided. In this Tech Mirror mini-series, we unpack the harms the law seeks to prevent, trace how young people’s use of social media became a flashpoint in the lead-up to the 2025 Federal Election, and explain what the legislation actually requires of social media platforms. We demystify what will happen when the law comes into force on 10 December, and explore what needs to happen next - as Australian (rightly) start to demand more from tech companies and from our politicians. Across five episodes, Tech Policy Design Institute Executive Director Johanna Weaver speaks with the people directly involved in Australia’s world first online safety experiment - from psychologists and policymakers to reporters and regulators - including Julie Inman Grant, Professor Jonathan Haidt, Dr Danielle Einstein, Professor Amanda Third, Carly Kind, Cam Wilson, Minh Hoang, Lizzie O’Shea, Andrew Hammond, and Gina Cass-Gottlieb. Listen to the trailer now and subscribe for the full series wherever you get your podcasts. Credits Written and narrated by Johanna Weaver, Executive Director, Tech Policy Design Institute. Produced by Olivia O’Flynn & Kate Montague, Audiocraft. Research by Amy Denmede. Original music by Thalia Skopellos. Created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngambri people and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. Special thanks to all the team at the Tech Policy Design Institute, without whom the pod would not be possible, especially Zoe Hawkins, Meredith Hodgman, and Dorina Whittmann. Links Tech Policy Design Institute: https://techpolicy.au/podcast