SYDNEY, Sept 20 — Apple executive chair Tim Cook views the Australian government's pioneering curbs on social media as "world-leading", said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after meeting with Cook at the company's United States (US) headquarters.
"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," he said in remarks from Apple Park, California, televised in Australia on Sunday.
Earlier this month, Australia took the next step in its push to improve online safety with a plan to give social media users the option to select the content they see on their feeds.
In December last year, it became the first country to ban social media for children under 16. Other governments have followed this year, with the European Commission the latest to propose such a ban for children under 13.
When asked for comment on Albanese's remarks, an Apple spokesman referred to a post by Cook on X (formerly Twitter), saying he was grateful to share with Albanese "some of our newest innovations, including strong and intuitive controls to help keep kids safe online". Cook recently stepped down as Apple's chief executive officer after 15 years in the role.
His visit to the US comes as industry leaders there are split over how fast companies should develop the increasingly powerful technology, and as an artificial intelligence (AI) safety debate roils Silicon Valley.
Albanese added that AI entails risks that must be mitigated.
"There is a need for a discussion about what the global framework is for the roll out of AI, because it is moving very quickly, and we need to make sure that humans remain in control," he told the media, according to an official transcript.
The Australian premier's comments contrast with the position of US President Donald Trump, who has downplayed concerns about AI and argued that additional regulation is unnecessary.
