Albanese government establishes Joint Select Committee to examine impact of social media [Video]

Social media platforms will be under the microscope as part of a parliamentary probe into their influence and impact on Australia.

The federal government has announced plans to establish a Joint Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate content people are exposed to online.

The joint standing committee is set to examine algorithms on social media platforms and how they determine what users see, as well as their impact on mental health.

The decision of Facebook’s parent company Meta to abandon deals with media companies to support public interest journalism will also be in focus.

The committee’s formation comes as the federal government has been at loggerheads with social media giants over the removal of violent content online following the stabbing of a church leader in Sydney in April.

Platforms such as X, previously known as Twitter, had refused to comply with take-down requests from the internet safety watchdog after the stabbing.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said social media companies had a …