Wells willing to change digital harm proposal to win Coalition support

Communications Minister Anika Wells is open to changing draft laws that would allow her to designate what constitutes serious harm online.

The bill would require online platforms to reduce foreseeable harm or face fines of more than $100 million.

Labor will consult tech giants on the proposal and says it is open to working with the Greens and Coalition to finalise a position.

Communications Minister Anika Wells says she is willing to make a concession on draft ministerial powers under proposed digital duty of care laws in order to gain the support of the Coalition.

While the draft laws spell out online conduct that constitutes serious harm, the minister would have the power to designate additional serious harm that tech platforms must mitigate.

It is part of measures that aim to shift responsibility onto big tech to proactively reduce foreseeable harm or face fines of more than $100 million.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor branded the ministerial powers a "blank cheque for political censorship" and raised free speech concerns, stating on Thursday the Coalition would not support the bill in its current form.

Ms Wells said she was open to changing the draft legislation, including allowing parliament to decide what met the threshold instead.

"I'd be pleased to consider any constructive ways we can meet the intent around dealing with urgency around new and emerging serious harms," she told Insiders on Sunday morning.

Pressed whether that would include the ministerial powers, she said, "Yes."

"But like I said, I haven't had so much as a phone call or a word from the shadow minister with any suggestions," Ms Wells said.

Under the proposed new laws, tech giants would have an obligation to identify and minimise exposure to harm in an attempt to create a safer online environment.

These include child sexual exploitation content, grooming children for sexual activity, explicit threats of physical violence, encouraging self-harm, serious harassment or instructing criminal offences or illicit drug use.

Ms Wells said if the legislation had been in place in December when artificial-intelligence tool Grok started allowing users to nudify photos, including of children and teens, it would have allowed her and the eSafety commissioner to constitute that as a harm.