Tim Cook Calls Australia's Social Media Curbs 'World-Leading', Says PM Albanese

Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook has described Australia's efforts to regulate social media as "world-leading", Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said following a meeting between the two in California.

Speaking from Apple Park on Sunday in remarks carried on Australian television, Albanese said Cook had given him considerable time that morning and had praised the work his government has done in the area of social media.

Australia has moved ahead with a series of measures aimed at improving online safety. This month it outlined a plan that would allow social media users to choose the content that appears in their feeds. In December, the country became the first to bar children under 16 from social media platforms — a step other governments have since taken up, with the European Commission the latest to propose a ban for children under 13.

Asked about Albanese's account of the meeting, an Apple spokesperson pointed to a post by Cook on X in which he said he was grateful to share with the prime minister some of the company's newest innovations, including what he described as strong and intuitive controls designed to help keep children safe online.

Cook recently stepped down as Apple's chief executive after 15 years in the role.

The exchange comes amid a broader debate in the technology industry over the pace at which increasingly powerful artificial intelligence should be developed, with AI safety questions continuing to divide leaders across Silicon Valley.