Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has appointed an academic advisory group of eleven distinguished experts, led by Stanford University’s Social Media Lab, to support a robust and transparent evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) obligation.
Since December 2024, eSafety has been working towards the implementation of the SMMA obligation and this advisory group is the latest step.
eSafety has provided Advice to the Minister for Communications to inform her legislative rules tabled in July ahead of the Government’s release of the Age Assurance Technology Trial finding.
eSafety has undertaken extensive public consultation and last week released its Social Media Minimum Age Regulatory Guidance for industry to begin taking reasonable steps for compliance before the December 10 start date.
eSafety also published a statement reaffirming its commitment to children’s digital rights in its implementation of the social media minimum age legislation.
The advisory group will support the eSafety Commissioner to examine how the SMMA obligation is being implemented and evaluate its short and medium-term impacts on children, young people, and their parents or caregivers.
The evaluation will contribute to the broader evidence base on the effectiveness of social media age restrictions and the relationship between social media use and youth wellbeing.
This will also be a data source informing the future independent review of the legislation, within 2 years of commencement, led by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the advisory group was selected following a detailed independent review process.
“The advisory group experts underwent a rigorous selection process and will represent the fields of online safety, social media, and adolescent wellbeing, from Australia and abroad,” Ms Inman Grant said
“Collectively, the group brings unique and specialised experience in adolescent mental health, child and adolescent development, family dynamics in digital media use, and the lived experiences of children and parents in online environments. Their specialisations include children’s digital rights, online harms, and the digital lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The team also brings deep knowledge in psychiatric epidemiology, digital parenting, and the complex relationship between social media and wellbeing.”
The Group will provide independent, evidence-based guidance throughout the evaluation’s design, analysis, and implementation phases. The evaluation will assess how well the obligation delivers on its intended goals, while also identifying any unexpected or unintended effects.
“This collaborative model underscores our commitment to a robust, transparent, and high-quality evaluation, including identifying any unintended consequences of the obligation and making recommendations around what adjustments may be required to address those,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“The inclusion of both domestic and international experts from a range of complementary disciplines ensures the evaluation is informed by a rich diversity of perspectives and enhances the relevance and global impact of its findings.”
Neither Stanford nor the advisory group members will receive remuneration. They will instead benefit from access to research data, publication opportunities, and collaboration with leading scholars.
Members of the Lead Academic Partner
- Professor Jeff Hancock, Stanford University Social Media Lab
- Dr Sunny Xun Liu, Stanford University Social Media Lab
- Dr Anja Stevic, Stanford University Social Media Lab
- Dr Angela Yuson Lee, Stanford University Social Media Lab
- Dr Y. Anthony Chen, Stanford University Social Media Lab
- Zacariah Smith-Russack, Stanford University Social Media Lab
Members of the Academic Advisory Group
- Distinguished Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Head of Critical Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University
- Professor Peter Etchells, School of Psychology, Bath Spa University
- Professor Katherine Keyes, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
- Distinguished Professor Mitch Prinstein, Co-Director of the Winston Center for Technology and the Developing Mind, University of North Carolina, and Chief Science Officer, American Psychological Association.
- Professor Jo Robinson, Professorial Fellow and Director, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne
- Professor Susan Sawyer, Chair of Adolescent Health, University of Melbourne, and Director, Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children’s Hospital
- Professor Julian Sefton-Green, School of Education, Deakin University
- Associate Professor Aliza Werner-Seidler, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales
- Professor Amanda Third, Professorial Research Fellow and Co-Director, Young and Resilient Research Centre, Western Sydney University
- Associate Professor, Munmun De Choudhury, Director of Social Dynamics and Well-Being Laboratory, and Co-Lead of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Professor Amy Orben, Programme Leader Track Scientist at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge