Carl Bates: National's lead on the Parliamentary Select Committee that endorses a social media ban for under 16s

There’s confidence a Parliamentary inquiry into online safety is on the right track. 

A Select Committee endorses a social media ban for under 16s and calls for an online regulator and tougher controls on harmful apps and algorithms. 

National's lead MP on the committee, Carl Bates, says some recommendations mirror moves overseas, while others are unique to New Zealand. 

He told Mike Hosking transparency around algorithms hasn't been done elsewhere. 

Bates says the committee recommends the Government explore it before putting any measures in place. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the committee looking into whether we should van social
media for under sixteens has produced its final report. Now
there's a bunch of recommendations, some of which are just
playing weird, not to mention the fact that there's also
fallout between members over whether they did their job properly
or not. Now col Bates is one of the National
members on that particular committee, as well as Carlen Morning,
Monnie Marke Curry, you very well, Thank you. Did you

(00:20):
enjoy the experience.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
It was a really good process that we went through.
That was originally planned to conclude at the end of
last year, but we took more time in order to
ensure that we did the job properly, and so I
enjoyed the process. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Right, So you did the job properly, but ACT say
you didn't do the job properly, and the Green say
you didn't do the job properly either. So that's not
a lot of harmony, is there.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Well, the Greens, I don't think staves and we didn't
do the job properly byre saying that they don't agree
with all of the recommendations ACT and National, So National
and Labor rather are on board with the recommendations and
think that it's a balanced approach for us to take forward.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Is this typical of what happens in a select committee
because some of the recommendations you make are from outer space,
they're not real, they're just theoretical whiteboarding.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
So there's a range of recommendations, a number of which
reflect what's happening internationally, A number of what you are
about the government exploring options further, and some of what
are about immediate actions that can be taken now regular
that's appropriate.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Regulate algorithmic recommendation systems. Do you honestly think New Zealand
Inc's capable of doing that where no one else in
the world is.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
So there are some examples of where there's algorithmic experience.
You've been considered, particularly around research and allowing research. You'll
note that from a committee perspective, we said the government
should explore this, not saying let's just go and say
this should happen right now because of some of the
I suppose concerns you're raising yourself, mate.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, is it possible? How much of this, in your
heart of hearts? How much of this is about being
seen to be doing something even though you know technically
it's not possible. Hence the Australian experience.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
There's a number of these things that heart of hearts
absolutely I want to see happen to ensure my kets,
to protect from the sort of harm that occurres take
for example, preventing online advertising for alcohol, tobacco and gambling
for under eighteen year olds. Why wouldn't we want to
say that if a platform is aware the child is
under the age of eighteen, that they don't have that

(02:29):
sort of advertising put in front of them at every opportunity.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Now, so is this going anywhere?

Speaker 2 (02:37):
I think there's now the opportunity for Minister Stanford to
take the recommendations into the consideration of the work that
she's doing as the lead minister for the government and
respond on what actions we as New Zealand can take
to further this work. Look, this is a changing space,
it's rapidly moving. Part of the recommendation around the regulator

(02:59):
is enabling them to go respond quickly, did these things
and look at what's happening. Use that phrase fast follower,
not try and just do everything and be a leader
and things that aren't going to work, but actually respond
where we know that there's an opportunity to do something,
do it properly and enter our children are protected from
online harm that is occurring.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Good to talk to you, Carl Bates, who's the national
member of that committee or a national member of that committee.
But been I mean strength and liability for online harm.
Establish an independent national regulator. Well, that's going to work,
isn't it. Regulate healthgorithmic recommendation systems, mandate algorithm transparency, promote
New Zealand based research. Sure, consider further matters. I like
to consider further matters.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
One.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio