Dear Minister Wells,

We, the undersigned citizens of Australia, wish to express our deep concern regarding the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. This legislation was enacted before the findings of the government’s own Age Assurance Technology Trials were made public. When those results were finally released on 1 September 2025, they confirmed that none of the systems tested could deliver results that were reliable, accurate, or protective of individual privacy.

Despite these clear warnings, the law is now set to take effect. This sequence of events raises serious concerns about government transparency, accountability, and respect for democratic process.

Lack of Public Understanding and Oversight

While the final Age Assurance Technology Trial report has been released, much of its technical detail remains complex and inaccessible to both the public and Parliament. Australians have not been given a fair opportunity to understand how this law will operate, what data will be collected, or who will ultimately control it.

The Senate inquiry into this legislation allowed only a single day for public submissions. In that short window, more than 15,000 Australians voiced their concerns — yet the Bill was passed the very next day, without meaningful parliamentary debate.

This is not the level of consultation Australians expect from a government that claims to act in the public interest.

Expanding Powers, Limited Accountability

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 grants the eSafety Commissioner broad new powers that are neither clearly defined nor subject to sufficient oversight. The Commissioner now holds the authority to determine, approve, and enforce age assurance systems that will affect every Australian who uses social media.

These sweeping powers are vested in an unelected office with limited public accountability. Allowing a single regulator to control digital access, family privacy, and business operations — without clear boundaries or independent review — sets a dangerous precedent for how authority is exercised in the online environment.

This concentration of power has been accompanied by rapid budget growth. The eSafety Commissioner’s annual funding has risen sharply, from approximately $45 million in 2021–22 to more than $150 million in the current forward estimates, with further increases planned. Despite this expansion, there remains little transparent reporting on how these funds are used, how success is measured, or whether this expenditure has delivered genuine safety improvements for Australian families.

Australians have a right to know how public money is being spent — especially when the outcomes appear to involve increased surveillance, reduced privacy, and legislation that restricts participation rather than protects it.

Risks of the Current Approach

Privacy and data security – Age assurance systems may require users to upload identification or undergo facial scans, exposing children and families to heightened risks of surveillance, misuse, and data breaches.
Inequality and exclusion – Young people in regional areas, migrant families, and those living with disability often rely on online platforms for education, connection, and support. A blanket ban risks cutting many of them off from vital networks.
Impact on innovation – Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have become key spaces for learning, creativity, and small business growth. Restricting access for those under 16 limits opportunity, expression, and economic participation.
Rushed decision-making – The legislation was passed before the supporting technologies were adequately tested, reviewed, or debated, undermining confidence in both the policy and its implementation.

What Australians Are Asking For

We, the people of Australia, call on the Minister to:

Pause implementation of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 until it has been independently reviewed, publicly tested, and its impacts fully understood.
Commission an independent audit of all age assurance technologies to ensure they meet the highest standards of privacy, accuracy, transparency, and fairness.
Place the eSafety Commissioner’s expanded powers and spending under proper parliamentary oversight to guarantee accountability and prevent regulatory overreach.
Undertake genuine public consultation with families, educators, young people, industry representatives, and digital rights experts before enforcing further online restrictions.
Refocus online safety policy on education, digital literacy, and safety-by-design — not surveillance, exclusion, or blanket bans.

A Smarter, Fairer Approach

Australians want young people to be safe online — but we also want to safeguard privacy, opportunity, and freedom. True safety is built through education, transparency, and accountability — not through rushed laws or unchecked authority.

We therefore call on the government to uphold these principles and ensure that future online safety measures reflect the values Australians hold dear: fairness, inclusion, and respect for personal rights.

If, after these requests are met, the eSafety Commissioner cannot demonstrate that the current framework delivers safe, private, and effective outcomes, the legislation must be repealed in full.

Signed,
The undersigned citizens of Australia