Apple's Tim Cook sees Australia's social media curbs as 'world-leading', PM says

Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook praised Australia's social media restrictions as "world-leading" during a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Apple Park in California, Reuters reported. Albanese explained that Australia is advancing tighter rules aimed at protecting children and giving users more control over the content displayed on social media platforms, marking the latest step in its online safety efforts.

In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media use for children under 16, with other governments, such as the European Commission, proposing similar restrictions for children under 13. Following the meeting, Albanese stated that Cook viewed Australia's work on social media regulation as leading the way for other countries.

Cook mentioned that he was pleased to demonstrate some of Apple's latest technology, including controls designed to protect children online, to the prime minister. This comes as technology companies face increasing scrutiny over the impact of their products on younger users and the degree of control consumers have over algorithmically generated content.

While Apple is not a major social media operator, its iPhone and App Store serve as significant gateways to platforms operated by companies like Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Snap, and ByteDance (owner of TikTok). The debate over technology regulation is also evolving as powerful artificial intelligence systems emerge, prompting separate questions about safety and the speed of development.

Industry executives have debated the pace at which companies should advance AI capabilities, considering how existing regulatory frameworks apply to the technology. Tim Cook recently stepped down as Apple's chief executive after leading the company for 15 years.