2SM Tim Webster for Breakfast - 8 December 1025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

Monday, 8 December 2025

Transcript

2SM Tim Webster for Breakfast

Subject: Social media ban; Age verification and Digital ID; Australian’s data stored off-shore by social media platforms; Public hearing into Triple Zero outages; Older Samsung mobile devices not connecting to Triple Zero.

E&OE ....

Tim Webster

Well, Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh is not convinced it is going to work. It seems the legislation has been rushed a bit, and while there's been huge penalties for sites announced, the kids will just get around it. They will. That's exactly what I'm gleaning from all of the conversations and interviews I'm hearing. Kids will just get around it. And Melissa McIntosh is on the line. G'day.

Melissa McIntosh

Good morning.

Tim Webster

Well, I've expressed a couple of mine, what are your main concerns?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, yours, I think, are pretty in line with mine as well, and all Australians, I've been warning for months now, just the intent of protecting kids online is something that we support in the Coalition. I do personally as a Shadow Communications Minister, but the government set this deadline of 10th December. My concerns have been around the drip feeding of platforms, hearing that kids are just migrating across to other social media platforms that aren't included. And then the concept of, you know, and I know the Minister is denying this, but it's the truth that people will be compelled to use digital ID. So, the platforms have said to me, we're not going to risk these $50 million fines if we can't verify an age through the technology, which there are high risks that this could happen, then we will ask for either driver's licence or a birth certificate. And this data is being stored offshore, and we don't know for how long. It's very personal information. So, a lot of questions, you know, we're in the countdown now, we're merely days and we're hearing more and more about the potential failures.

Tim Webster

Well, I'm already hearing too, as I said to my listeners earlier, Melissa, that the face recognition technology, 18-year-olds are being declared 14. 14-year-olds have been declared 18. I mean, that's flawed as well. So, then you get into that digital ID thing and people are very concerned about that, as they should be.

Melissa McIntosh

Yes, because you don't know where the data is going. This is very personal information and people hate the thought of something happening, and rightly so, to their personal information. It happens with big Australian companies. So how do we trust a third-party age verification company when that data is going offshore? So that's a fair enough, you know, sort of doubt that people have in their minds about it and the pure fact that kids are moving on to other things right now. And I'm concerned about other things. I read today there's a psychologist warning that kids are going to... they support the ban, but kids are going to be finding it really tough.

Tim Webster

They will.

Melissa McIntosh

Where's investment been in mental health to help kids that are going to be having a hard time?

Tim Webster

Yeah, they're going to suffer withdrawal. They're going to hate it. I mean, you know, your average 15-year old's going to absolutely hate it. And you can understand the platform saying, well, don't want to risk the fine. So maybe if you're going to identify yourself, it's got to be a digital ID well, there's a problem right there. So, look, that whole theory that it should be up to parents, not the government to police this, that's all well and good, but parents are saying, well, you know, I'll just get around it, they can use my account. And some people are even saying, as I said in the intro, they're going to ignore it all together. So, I just hope it goes well after Wednesday because I can see like you, quite a number of red flags.

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, I agree. And you can put the warnings out. It doesn't mean that you don't support kids being protected online. It's the exact opposite. If there's bans coming in, the government should be investing everything it can into making sure it works. And the intent to protect kids works. Because we're hearing now the government, even in the Communications Minister, backtracking on some of the language like, oh, you know, be patient, it's going to take time, it's not going to be perfect. Well, what's the point then?

Tim Webster

Yeah exactly.

Melissa McIntosh

No, it has to work. It has to work.

Tim Webster

Yeah. All right, we'll see what happens on Wednesday. Just on other things which are also very important. The Senate inquiry into the Optus triple zero outage will look at issues with older Samsung telephones. Now this is disturbing, Melissa, may not be able to call the emergency number. Suggestions up to half a million phones can't get through to triple zero in the case of an emergency. I mean that’s pretty... how did that get through to the keeper?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, I'm very concerned about this and again, I feel like the Shadow Minister for warning everyone about big issues. But this one's an important one as well. There's still, and I've spoken to Samsung, I believe there's still thousands of people out there in Australia that think their handsets are working because they're on 4G. But because the tech behind it, if you need to call triple zero, the phone itself tries to go back to the 3G network which does not exist anymore. So, if a person does need a call, then they’re not going to be able to get through. So this is a serious thing, I think it's a few weeks ago now, the Minister should be standing up and doing a public statement about the importance of people getting new phones or, you know, downloading the software or if they can't afford it, then these companies coming forward to support people. Because not everyone can afford a new phone.

Tim Webster

Well, there's the point. I mean, that's the real point to me. I mean, you're saying to people, well, you know, in the midst of a cost of living crisis and you're trying to get a Christmas present under a tree and a decent meal for Christmas, oh just buy a new phone. People are going to say, what? We can't afford to buy a new phone, you know?

Melissa McIntosh

Yeah, yeah, that's right. And older, older people, I know I've got parents that downloading the technology to upgrade your phone, it's not an easy thing to do. So, I think the government should be focused on this as well and making sure Australians are aware, because thousands of people walking around not knowing that their phone won't work in the greatest time of need, it’s really, really scary. It's a scary thing.

Tim Webster

Yeah, it is indeed. Let's all hope Wednesday, and I suppose it'll take, you know, a week or two, maybe a month or two to settle in, that it's not as much of a major drama as people are tending to think that it might be. Because, you know, as you say, I say, the original intention was good to protect kids, but I just don't know. There's just so many issues that have come up since, haven't they?

Melissa McIntosh

Yes. And so many issues that don't seem to be addressed. They're just getting shrugged off right now.

Tim Webster

Yeah. Drifting along is what they're doing with those issues. Kicking it down the road, I think they call it. Melissa, thanks for your time.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you, thanks very much.

[Ends]