CANBERRA — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese strongly criticized social media giant Meta on Saturday, accusing the company of being “arrogant and out of touch.”
His comments were prompted by remarks from Meta’s head of global safety, Antigone Davis, during a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra.
According to SBS News, Davis told the inquiry that she did not believe social media had caused harm to children, as reported by AAP.
“Meta are showing how out of touch they are and how arrogant they are,” Albanese was quoted as saying in response to Davis’s statements. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has faced increasing scrutiny over its impact on young users.
The Australian Parliament has been conducting an inquiry specifically focusing on the potential harm social media platforms might cause to young children.
When questioned about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, Davis acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that teen mental health is influenced by various factors beyond social media alone.
“I don’t think social media has done harm to our children,” Davis stated via video link during the inquiry, suggesting that Meta should consider implementing age-verification systems as a possible solution.
The debate over the influence of social media on mental health continues to be a contentious issue globally, with governments and tech companies grappling with how best to mitigate potential harms while ensuring digital safety and well-being for users, especially younger demographics. — Agencies