Federal election 2025: Call to toughen up on big tech as toxic online algorithms program our kids

Australia needs to do better to stamp out misogyny and violence towards women, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conceded on Monday, as the country grapples with how to deal with the impact of online toxic masculinity.

Mr Albanese made the frank admission as he announced a new $20m fund in the Labor-held seat of Robertson to establish a new crisis centre for women and children.

The fund is part of a wide-ranging policy suite to combat domestic violence, including future action to legislate practical changes in superannuation, tax and social security systems to prevent perpetrators from weaponising them in a form of coercive control.

In the final days of the campaign, the Coalition has also turned its focus on protecting vulnerable women and children, promoting the creation of a national database of domestic violence offenders in a new $90m strategy.

But politicians are floundering for a “silver bullet” to tackle a “whole of society problem,” particularly as they grapple with the scourge of creeping online misogyny that is changing the social fabric of the entire western world.

“We’re not doing well enough as a society,” said Mr Albanese, signalling that finding a solution was beyond the reach of the Government.

“We need men as well to have conversations with each other, to call it out when they see unacceptable behaviour,” he said.

The Prime Minister urged the public to watch the chilling viral Netflix show Adolescence to better understand the issues.

The raw, harrowing drama thrust the insidious influence of a misogynist online subculture into the mainstream conversations of millions of households this year.

The four-part show, steeped in the mundane details of life in a northern English housing estate, enters the frightening world of elfin-faced teenager Jamie, whose brush with toxic masculinity ends in the murder of his classmate Katie in a hate crime.

“One of the reasons why the social media ban is important is that young people, at a very young age, when they’re developing, are exposed to some pretty hateful stuff out there,” said Mr Albanese, referring to the curbs on under-16s accessing social media passed by parliament last year.

But some politicians believe the nation’s highest body needs to talk a tougher game.

Australia’s next parliament should hold Big Tech to account over dangerous algorithms shaping society and the identity of younger generations, independent Senator David Pocock told The Nightly.

“So much of what we consume is being moderated by an algorithm that we have no idea how it works, and I haven’t seen any willingness from the major parties to actually stand up to these multinational companies,” he said.

“In Australia, if you sell a medicine, we’ve got to know what’s inside it. If you sell a food, you’ll list the ingredients. When it comes to your algorithm, we want to know what this is actually doing,” he said.

“It seems nuts to me that we’re just allowing them to do whatever they want.”

“Social media companies are making an absolute fortune and leaving us with the mess to try and clean up.”

If re-elected, the former Wallabies captain also wants politicians to more specifically address the problems of politically disengaged young men and to act as better role models.

A study released last week by the Movember Institute rang another alarm bell about the social media narratives shaping young men’s views of masculinity.

The survey found the majority of 16 to 25-year-old Australian men are engaging with masculinity influencers that are promoting not only negative attitudes towards women but undermining their self-esteem and stoking a sense of “worthlessness.”

A Government attempt late last year to pass a misinformation and disinformation bill crashed and burned after the Coalition and Senate crossbenchers denounced it as a “half-baked” plan that could undermine freedom of speech.

Mr Pocock was one of the those opposing the controversial legislation but believes if the election returns a larger crossbench that they will find the right approach to tackling the problem, including pressing social media giants for more transparency.

“How is it that the algorithms are spreading misinformation at such a large scale?” he asked.

“We should be taking this challenge on and putting Australians ahead of big multinationals that are making a lot of money off our eyeballs and our data.”

But he believes social media manipulation is just one aspect of a much wider problem where young men cannot find the answer to their troubles in the political system of the day.

A whole cohort of young men were struggling to find their place within a broader culture of materialism, narcissism and hedonism that did not provide any deeper meaning, he said.

“I think, rightly, there’s been a really big focus on women and a big push back against patriarchal structures,” he said.

“But I think at the same time, we haven’t really seen any discussion … about what has patriarchy done to men?”

The Movember study, which gathered responses from more than 3,000 16 to 25-year-olds in Australia, the US and UK, found that the majority — 68 per cent of Australians — regularly engaged with at least one masculinity influencer online.

The report covered a much broader range of influential online behaviour than the hyper-macho manosphere promoted by contentious figures like Andrew Tate, spreading across a range of themes from fitness to financial success and relationship advice.

But it revealed that 27 per cent of those turning to these masculinity role models experienced significantly higher levels of worthlessness, compared to those who did not.

The study also noted higher rates of risky behaviour, including steroid use, distorted views of male ideals that label the display of emotion as weakness, and negative beliefs about women and feminism.

“There’s a lot of talk about toxic masculinity, but not enough talk about positive masculinity,” said Mr Pocock, pausing for a moment to reflect on a definition.

“I think it’s knowing your strength as a man and actually using it being able to channel that energy,” he said.

“How do you use that sort of strength as a man to actually care for people around you.”

The challenge for politicians is to find a practical answer for a generation of young men who are increasingly disillusioned.

Men’s health also came into focus last week.

The Labor Government said if re-elected, it would invest an additional $32m to support men’s health and break the stigma around seeking support — a plan matched by the Coalition.

Australian men are three times more likely to take their own life than women and are significantly less likely to ask for help.

Dan Repacholi, Labor member for Hunter, suggested that a minister for men or a special envoy with a specific focus on men’s health would be a “great idea”.

Mr Pocock, called for more funding for early intervention programs and better addressing inequality.

“If you don’t have wealthy parents, it’s getting harder and harder to be able to afford a house, or go to university and do a course,” he said.

“I’d love to see far more focus on, how do we create a more equal society?”