Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on global technology companies to back his government's push to tighten online safety legislation and introduce new artificial intelligence standards, warning that Australia "can't do it alone" when it comes to protecting children from internet harms.

Albanese met Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Saturday, on the sidelines of his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly. Cook described Australia's approach to social media regulation as "world-leading" and said he shared details of new "strong and intuitive controls to help keep kids safe online." Australia made global headlines in December when it became the first country to ban social media use for children under 16, a move aimed at shielding young people from online bullying and what legislators called "predatory algorithms." Other governments have since followed suit, with the European Commission recently proposing a similar restriction for children under 13.

Despite the landmark ban, data published last month showed that Australians under 16 were continuing to use platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, raising questions about enforcement. In response, the government this month unveiled draft legislation that would go further, imposing a "duty of care" obligation on the companies behind major social media platforms and giving users the ability to disable algorithmic content recommendations. The bill is set to be introduced to parliament later this year following consultation with industry and civil society groups. The opposition Liberal-National Coalition has said it opposes the legislation in its current form, arguing it contains insufficient safeguards for free speech and journalism and concentrates too much authority in the hands of the Communications Minister.

Albanese also used his US visit to press for international cooperation on AI governance, pledging that Australia would introduce new national AI standards before the end of the year. "The risk is that AI develops in a way in which humans are no longer in control," he told Australia's national broadcaster. His call for a global regulatory framework stands in contrast to the position of US President Donald Trump, who has argued that additional AI regulation is unnecessary. The debate comes as Silicon Valley itself remains deeply divided over how rapidly the technology should be developed and deployed.

The push reflects a broader effort by Australia to position itself at the forefront of digital regulation — and to ensure that major technology companies operating in the country align with its safety standards rather than resist them.