Albanese meets Apple's Tim Cook in California as Australia expands online safety rules

Meeting at Apple Park

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook at the company headquarters in Cupertino, California, to discuss online child safety and artificial intelligence regulations. Speaking from Apple Park during his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, Albanese stated that Cook praised Australia's legislative restrictions on social media as world-leading. Cook, who stepped down as Apple chief executive officer on 1 September 2026 after 15 years in the post, demonstrated new software tools designed to protect younger users. An Apple spokesperson pointed to Cook's comments on social media, where he noted his appreciation for sharing intuitive parental controls. Albanese emphasised that national governments require active technical cooperation from global technology companies to shield minors from online harms.

Tim Cook gave us a lot of time this morning. He regards the work that we've done on social media to be world-leading.

Enforcement and legislative expansion

Australia implemented a ban in December 2025 barring children under 16 from digital services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Responsibility for verifying age and enforcing the restriction was placed directly on the operating companies. However, a study published in the British Medical Journal established that 85% of Australian teenagers aged 12 to 15 continued to access social media platforms three months after the rules took effect. The Australian government accused tech companies of using procedural tricks to bypass the restrictions, prompting Canberra to increase non-compliance penalties in June 2026 to 99 million Australian dollars (approximately 61.5 million euros). In September 2026, the government unveiled additional draft legislation that imposes a duty of care on platforms and grants users the ability to disable algorithmic recommendation feeds.

Domestic opposition and European parallels

The proposed feed controls face domestic legislative scrutiny before being introduced to parliament later this year. The opposition Liberal-National Coalition issued a statement on 10 September 2026 rejecting the draft bill in its current form, arguing that the measure gives excessive authority to the Communications Minister while failing to protect press freedom and free speech. Meanwhile, other jurisdictions have advanced similar curbs on youth access to digital services. On 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a plan to prohibit social media access for children under 13 across the European Union. Under the European framework, teenagers aged 13 and 14 would require parental supervision, with independent account creation restricted until age 15.

Global standards for artificial intelligence

Alongside social media controls, Albanese used his visit to Silicon Valley and the United Nations to advocate for binding artificial intelligence regulations. The prime minister announced that Australia plans to establish new national AI standards by the end of 2026 to mitigate emerging risks. In discussions surrounding the global technology race, Albanese urged middle powers to participate actively in AI governance and called for cooperation between the United States and China. He maintained that regulatory frameworks must ensure technology operates in the public interest rather than dictating social outcomes.

We're putting stronger rules in place to keep Australians safe online. And now, big tech companies like Apple are stepping up too.