Australia's digital duty of care bill will prohibit AI chatbots from fostering "emotional intimacy"

Australia's digital duty of care bill would require platforms to prohibit material or conduct that simulates emotional intimacy and encourages children to rely on chatbots as a substitute for interpersonal relationships; the bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Previously, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that children treating chatbots as their "best friend" should be a wake-up call for parliamentary action. The bill will be considered by the Senate in the coming weeks, and the government hopes to pass it by the end of 2026; the Greens support it, while the Coalition and One Nation voted against it, with the opposition accusing the regime of "Orwellian" censorship, which Communications Minister Anika Wells denied. The government has accepted an amendment by MP Kate Chaney to add specific AI chatbot conduct to the list of harms and to require that opt-out functions for algorithms and recommended content be easy to use and prominently visible. The Greens have launched a Senate inquiry, expected to report in late November, and advocate giving users a private right of action and raising penalties; independent MP Sophie Scamps proposed expanding the powers of the telecommunications industry ombudsman to oversee big tech companies, which Labor did not accept in the lower house, and the Greens will continue to push it in Senate negotiations.