In February, Clare initiated a comprehensive review aimed at assessing the effectiveness of current strategies to prevent and address bullying. This review attracted 1,700 submissions, primarily from concerned parents.

Findings from the review reveal that one in four students in grades four through nine experience bullying at least every few weeks.

Clare expressed grave concerns, stating, “The thought of AI encouraging children to harm themselves is truly frightening. We’ve already seen tragic cases overseas where this has happened. It’s a serious issue we must confront.”

He further emphasized, “An application developed internationally has the potential to cause harm to a child in Australia. This is a matter that demands our urgent attention.”

The proposed changes are set to be implemented across the United States, England, Canada, and Australia.

“While our efforts to reform social media platforms, such as reducing children’s use of TikTok and Snapchat, are steps in the right direction, bullying extends beyond these platforms and occurs at all hours,” Clare noted.

‘Can you think of anything more hurtful?’

“The changes we’re making to social media will help, getting kids off TikTok and Snapchat will help, but it’s not the only place where kids are bullied day and night,” he said.

In early September, the federal government announced plans to restrict access to deepfake tools and specifically nudify apps.