Overview

• Federal, state and territory ministers backed a national plan requiring schools to act on bullying complaints within 48 hours and expanding specialist training for teachers.
• The $10 million package includes $5 million for classroom resources for educators, parents and students and $5 million for a national awareness campaign.
• Jason Clare said eSafety briefings identified TikTok and Snapchat as the main venues for bullying, with cyberbullying reports up more than 450% since 2019.
• Clare warned AI chatbots are humiliating children and, in reported overseas cases, encouraging self-harm, though he did not name specific products.
• A separate ban will bar under‑16s from social media from December 10, with fines up to $50 million for noncompliance and reduced access to AI chatbots on those platforms; Meta plans parental AI controls from early 2026, including tools to disable one‑on‑one chats and set time limits.