Child safety must be the key pillar of any Digital Duty of Care laws, says children's charity

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation has backed the Australian government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care but is calling for platforms to be legally required to put children’s best interests at the centre of online safety.

Facebook X LinkedIn Copy link *]:clear-none [&>p:first-child]:font-bold [&_p:not(.momentum-promotedcontent-item_*)]:mb-5 [&_p:last-of-type:not(.momentum-promotedcontent-item_*)]:mb-5 article-content [&_a]:underline [&_a]:text-primary [&_a]:underline-offset-4 [&_div:has(iframe)]:mb-8 [&_ul]:list-disc [&_ul]:pl-6 [&_ul]:mb-5 [&_ol]:list-decimal [&_ol]:pl-6 [&_ol]:mb-5 [&_li]:mb-1 [&_li]:leading-relaxed"> The Alannah & Madeline Foundation has welcomed the Australian government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care , but says the legislation must go further in making technology companies responsible for preventing foreseeable harm to children.

The foundation wants the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 to explicitly require platforms to prioritise the best interests of children when designing and operating their services.