Tim Cook Backs Australia’s Push for Safer Social Media for Children
CUPERTINO, California — September 20, 2026

Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook has backed Australia’s efforts to improve online safety for children, after meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Apple’s headquarters in California.

Albanese said Cook viewed Australia’s approach to social media regulation as “world-leading” during their meeting on September 19.

Apple Shows New Child-Safety Features
During the visit to Apple Park, Cook showed Albanese Apple’s latest parental-control tools, which were partly inspired by Australia’s social media reforms.

The new features allow parents to manage the apps, content and contacts their children can access, set time limits and receive greater control over their children’s digital activity.

Apple also recently expanded its Communication Safety protections to detect and block images containing nudity, gore and violence in shared images and videos, including during FaceTime calls.

Cook said he was pleased to share Apple’s latest innovations, describing them as tools designed to help keep children safer online.

Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Restrictions
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide minimum age requirement for major social media platforms, with the rules taking effect in December 2025.

Platforms covered by the rules must take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts. The responsibility falls on the platforms rather than children or their parents.

The government is now seeking to expand its online-safety framework. Draft legislation released in September would establish a Digital Duty of Care and give Australians greater control over whether algorithms determine what appears in their social-media feeds.

Wider Push for Online Safety
Albanese said Australia could not address online risks alone and called for greater cooperation between governments and major technology companies.

The Australian government is also preparing new standards for artificial intelligence, with the prime minister expected to discuss AI safety and regulation during the United Nations General Assembly.

For Apple, the Australian reforms have also provided an example of how technology companies can build additional safety controls into their products.

The meeting comes as governments around the world debate how to protect children from harmful online content while giving families greater control over children’s use of technology.

Sources
Reuters – Apple’s Tim Cook sees Australia’s social media curbs as “world-leading”
ABC News Australia – PM meets Tim Cook at Apple HQ
Apple Australia – Apple’s new child safety features now available
Australian Government – My Feed, My Way