Digital Policy as Problem Space: Policy Formation, Public Opinion, and Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024

Abstract

This article examines Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 as a case study in digital policy formation, focusing on the socio-political processes that shaped its development. Framing the debate through Celia Lury’s concept of “problem spaces,” the paper explores how the issue of youth and social media use is constructed through “givens” (perceived risks), “goals” (protection), and contested “operators” (policy solutions). Drawing on public opinion surveys and stakeholder submissions to a parliamentary inquiry, the article finds widespread public concern about online harms, especially for minors, but sharp disagreement about how best to address them. While the Act’s age restriction was broadly supported by the public and some stakeholders, critics warn of unintended consequences and advocate alternative measures such as media literacy and platform accountability. The case reveals broader tensions in digital governance between public demand for action, legislative responsiveness, and competing visions of youth digital rights.