Wells says duty of care won't ban manosphere podcasts

Communications Minister Anika Wells says adults will still be able to listen to "manosphere" podcasts and argue the moon landing never happened under the government's new digital duty of care laws. The Guardian

The legislation was introduced to parliament on 15 October 2026. Wells set out the government's case in a speech to the National Press Club about the bills. The Guardian

She told the club "We are not controlling free speech, we are not conducting covert surveillance". She also said the duty of care is not a stepping stone for regulating misinformation and disinformation. The Guardian

The central idea is that platforms would be required to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms and services. Parliamentary Library FlagPost Wells has previously put it in simpler terms, saying the duty means big tech platforms need to protect people from harm. Department of Infrastructure transcript

In August, Wells described the duty as the most consequential piece of work she was thinking about. Department of Infrastructure transcript Draft legislation was then released for targeted consultation on 4 September. Department of Infrastructure media release

Wells said in late September she would introduce the legislation to parliament in October. Department of Infrastructure transcript The bill is titled the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026. Australian Parliament House It has been referred to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee. Australian Parliament House