eSafety Symposium 2026: Program and speaker preview

Global trends in children’s online safety - the move towards age restrictions

Exploring how jurisdictions are implementing innovative online safety reforms, the lessons learned so far, and the challenges shaping the future of regulation.

Hear from: Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive, Ofcom; the Hon Paul Fletcher, Director, Tech Council of Australia; Julie Inman Grant PSM, eSafety Commissioner.

The Social Media Minimum Age evaluation - building the global evidence base

How the evaluation of this world-first legislation can contribute to the global conversation on social media, online harms and young people’s wellbeing.

Keynote: Professor Jeff Hancock, Stanford University Social Media Lab.
 

From drivers to disruption - tackling terrorist and violent extremist content online

What fuels violent extremism online, and how should we respond? This panel explores the drivers of terrorist and violent extremist content and the implications for prevention, policy and regulation.

Hear from: Brendan Dowling, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Department of Home Affairs; Gemma Huggins, Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism; Mariam Veiszadeh, Founder and Chair, Islamophobia Register Australia.

Evidence for the future - informing online safety policy, regulation and intervention

From the Social Media Minimum Age evaluation to critical research gaps, this session explores the evidence shaping the future of online safety policy.

Hear from: Members of the Academic Advisory Group for the Social Media Minimum Age evaluation.
 

Content, contexts and cultures - what's in young people's feeds?

Exploring the viral content shaping young people’s attitudes and behaviours, and the practical opportunities to minimise harm and build resilience.

Hear from: Mia Bannister, Founder and Director, Ollie’s Echo: Pathways to Prevention; Dr Zac Seidler, Global Director of Men's Health Research, Movember.

Global issues, global responses - keeping children safe online

From regulation to innovation, this session explores how countries are responding to shared online safety challenges and strengthening protections for children online.
 

The protection gap - what will it take to close it?

Examining the gaps in how we prevent, respond to and recover from online harm, this panel explores the partnerships and solutions needed to better support those affected.

Hear from: Sarah Davies AM, Chief Executive Officer, Alannah & Madeline Foundation; Wayne Holdsworth, Founder, SmackTalk.

Beyond borders - strengthening the global response to child sexual exploitation and abuse

As child sexual exploitation and abuse transcends borders, this panel explores how regulators and child protection experts can strengthen the global response through collaboration, innovation and enforcement.

Hear from: Emilio Puccio, Secretary General, European Parliament’s Intergroup on Children's Rights; Arda Gerkens, Chair, Netherlands' Authority for the Prevention of Online Terrorist Content and Child Sexual Abuse Material (ATKM).

Deepfakes - different perspectives, shared challenges

As deepfakes become increasingly sophisticated, this session explores their impacts and the practical steps young people, families and schools can take to prevent and respond to harm.