Transcript - Sky News with Tom Connell - 16 September 2025

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

16 September 2025

EO&E …

Sky News – NewsDay with Tom Connell

Topics: Social media age minimum; Digital ID; eSafety Commissioner; Communications sovereignty; net zero; Andrew Hastie.

 Tom Connell

Details announced today of the looming social media ban for under sixteens. Joining you live is Shadow Communications Minister, Melissa McIntosh. Thank you for your time. This has been announced today. What do you make so far of the details. Is it viable?

Melissa McIntosh

This is always a grey area. On one hand, we want to protect our children, and I've met with parents in Parliament who have lost their children to social media harm, and I've promised to them I'll do everything I can on that front. But on the other hand, we have an eSafety Commissioner who has an extraordinary amount of power, an unelected official, and I met with her last week and I questioned whether we could get to a stage where digital ID is required. And she couldn't give me an answer. She actually does have the power to implement that and in the report that was released today, it does show that if all other measures fail, we could get to a stage where people do need to show some form of digital ID. So, I've got a lot of questions around that. I think many Australians don't want to get to that stage. But as I said, on one hand we really want to protect our kids, but we've also got this debate about adults and you know freedom to do what they want to do online.

Tom Connell

Would there be a logic though, I mean. Increasingly, people live a large part of their lives in the online world. We accept we need digital ID, or IDs, I should say, in the physical world. If you want to get into a pub, for example, show an ID. So, is that going to seem less of a difference to future generations?

Melissa McIntosh

And if we want to keep people safe, maybe that's the best way there is keeping children safe online. And we know that there's abhorrent content and no child - we don't want any child exposed to that or inappropriate content bullying. This is how we've got to this place right now. But there is also the question around forcing people to show identification. I haven't met a single Australian that says, ‘yes, please, can I show, you know, give my ID over to a multinational tech company.’ Where are they going to store that data? And I have a big question around data storage and the protection of Australians information. So that's where the questions are, around the protection of people's privacy.

Tom Connell

What about facial ID? Basically, every Australian I would hazard to guess already uses this via their smartphone. And people aren't up in arms on where that might be being used. So, would that be a logical path to take?

Melissa McIntosh

The part of the report that the eSafety Commissioner has released is around inference or some form of you know, identification. And it's going to be up to the tech companies how they do that, I believe. But when it comes to actual information that, whether it's a healthcare card, any form of digital identification, that's where we step over the mark. And there'll be a lot of questions around the protection of data.

Tom Connell

So, you are, it sounds like at this stage, a no to any form of digital ID. But you'd be open to facial recognition with assurances on how the data's stored. Is that a way to sum up your position on this at the moment?

Melissa McIntosh

Well, there's que, well, no, not necessarily. There's question marks around facial identification as well in the age assurance trials. There were risks around, you know, there's about a three year gap, whether a child could be 13 or 16. So there, you know, there's question marks around whether the technology is there yet to enable that. And you've got to remember this is about protecting kids, not policing adults online. Well, so we've got to be very clear on what that intent of this policy is.

Tom Connell

Let me cut the chase. You agree with the aim, so how would you do it if you've got issues with all the ways we've spoken about so far today?

Melissa McIntosh

I think it's not up to be about how I would do it. We've committed, it was a Peter Dutton policy, so we have made a commitment to this policy and the intent behind it around keeping children safe. But never at any point did we say we would move to digital ID. And that's where my question is to the eSafety Commissioner. As I said, she's an unelected official.  

Tom Connell

No, but I'm just asking how you would do it. I’m not saying would you want do digital ID. What's a better way? Because you're pretty across this now.

Melissa McIntosh

This is where we're going. Yeah, as I said to you, at this stage, it's a new point because we are going to a stage on the December 10th where kids under 16 won't be allowed to go online. But what I'm saying now is that I'll be holding the government, and the eSafety Commissioner to account in not overstepping the mark. She does have the powers to implement digital ID, and we do not want that.

Tom Connell

Alright. It's sort of easy to, as you say, hold someone to account if you are not saying your preferred method and just saying all the methods are bad. Anyway, we'll know more soon. You've got a bit to say about communication, sovereignty and the importance of data centres. Do you believe that could be the path for nuclear power in Australia because Australians rejected it as effectively as a means to replace coal, and there was a bit of uncertainty about when it would come in. Would that be something you think would be more palatable for Australians?

Melissa McIntosh

I think we're at a fork in the road when it comes to our sovereignty, and that includes communications. We currently have our data stored in foreign servers. We have foreign satellites in our skies. We are giving our AI away to foreign big tech companies. I want our data stored here at home for the Australian people. But what does data require? Those big data centres, they require power and that's either power into the local grid. Some renewables, batteries, even diesel. And in some countries, tech companies are now looking at small modular nuclear reactors, and I think we should be considering that in the mix.

Tom Connell

Alright. And I did want ask you finally about Andrew Hastie. So, he's effectively said, if the Coalition keeps its support for net zero, he'll be out of a job. That's a threat to quit and cause instability, isn't it?

Melissa McIntosh

Well, aren't we lucky that we live in a democracy? And Andrew isn't breaking any conventions by stating his position on this policy. And what he's doing is he's representing his community. And that's what I do. We've got similar communities. He's obviously been out and about discussing this with his people. I'm going through a process of doing that right now. But we haven't landed in a policy position within our party. So he'll be – he’s said his position. When I get to mine, I'll be able to take that through the process and that process is really important.

Tom Connell

So, you said similar communities, would you also consider your position if the Coalition sticks with net zero.

Melissa McIntosh

I'll be speaking with my community as I did. That's how I've held my seat over the last couple of terms against the tide because I'm a community member and then I'll take that position through the party's process, through Shadow Cabinet. We've got a policy committee right now. There's a lot of work being done and you know, I'll let the process run its course.

Tom Connell

So, you'd be more inclined to be part of the process and then get on board with the decision rather than say you'd consider your position?

Melissa McIntosh

I'll be a very, I'll be a very strong voice for my community and as I've said to you, alright, I've got a position on a small modular nuclear power that we should be looking at because I want to protect our sovereignty and we need to have pragmatic energy policy in this country to do that.

Tom Connell

Melissa McIntosh, appreciate your time today.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you.