Is the push for tech regulation just an Australian phenomenon or a global shift?

Resistance to unregulated tech is intensifying globally, including in the US where social conservatives recently defeated a proposed 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation. Silicon Valley interests invested US$100m into campaign organisations to oppose these measures, signaling a high-stakes shift toward government intervention.

What specific regulatory changes are coming to the Australian market immediately?

The Australian eSafety Commissioner is launching a world-first social media age restriction scheme next month. This represents a pivot from content micro-management toward structural harm mitigation, drawing parallels to how 1970s tobacco regulations moved from health awareness to strict advertising limits.

How will this affect the business models of global digital platforms?

Regulators are increasingly targeting the 'extractive model' used by hyperscalers that has hollowed out local media and telecommunications since the 1800s-era industrialisation parallels began. Future legislative efforts will likely revive elements of the 2023 Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill to enforce mandatory algorithmic transparency.

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In Defence of Australia’s ESafety Commission - Why Technology Needs Regulation

The eSafety Commissioner’s world-first social media age restriction scheme signals a move to regulate technology for social

David Kennedy · Venture Insights20 November 2025Period: November 20256 min read

US$100m↑

Silicon Valley investment into campaign organisations to oppose AI regulation ahead of US midterm elections

10-year↓

Proposed moratorium on state AI regulation in the US that was recently defeated

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Abstract

This report analyses the growing global and domestic resistance to unregulated technology platforms, focusing on the Australian eSafety Commission's role. It explores the philosophical and legal justifications for government intervention in digital markets, drawing parallels between historical industrial regulations and modern tech oversight. The analysis highlights the tension between 'accelerationist' tech interests and the duty of governments to protect social stability and economic opportunity through structural mitigations like age-based restrictions and algorithmic transparency.

Key Takeaways

The Australian eSafety Commissioner’s social media age restriction scheme commences next month as a world-first regulatory experiment.
Venture Insights argues that technology is never 'natural' or 'neutral' but emerges from specific choices that governments have a duty to manage.
Resistance to global tech is growing even in the US, where social conservatives recently defeated a 10-year AI regulation moratorium.

In Defence of Australia’s ESafety Commission - Why Technology Needs Regulation

Abstract

Key Takeaways

What's Inside

Resistance to global tech is growing

The eSafety Commission’s legitimate role

Frequently Asked Questions

Abstract

Key Takeaways

What's Inside

Resistance to global tech is growing

The eSafety Commission’s legitimate role

Frequently Asked Questions

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