The poll of 1042 voters, conducted by YouGov, found that 93% of Australian voters want online platforms to be legally required to provide a safe online environment and prevent harmful content.
83% of Australians want those spreading dangerous content to be fined, while half (50%) say the executives of offending companies should also be jailed.
Seven in ten voters (72%) believe users who suffer physical or mental harm should be able to seek compensation from the platform, including 62% of One Nation supporters and 69% of Coalition voters.
Key points:
- Nine in ten (93%) Australians agree that online platforms should be legally required to provide a safe online environment and prevent and address illegal and harmful content. Three in five (61%) strongly agree, while only 4% disagree.
- Significant majorities of Australians across all voting intentions agree, including more than nine in ten Labor (96%), Coalition (95%) and Greens (96%) voters and more than four in five (86%) One Nation voters.
- Among the 93% who agreed, more than four in five (86%) believe that online platforms should be required to provide a safe online environment for all Australians, not just children.
- Four in five Australians (83%) believe that companies that facilitate illegal and dangerous content spreading online should at least be fined, half of Australians (50%) believe they should be fined and their executives should be jailed. 4% believe executives should be jailed and but the company not fined.
- Seven in ten (72%) Australians agree that if an individual has suffered physical or mental health harm from content on an online platform, they should be able to seek compensation from the platform. Only one in eight (12%) Australians disagree.
- Majorities of Australians across all voting intentions agree, including four in five (79%) Labor voters, seven in ten (69%) Coalition voters, six in ten One Nation voters (62%) and four in five (82%) Greens voters.
“The tide has turned against Big Tech companies and the enormous harm that they cause,” said Josh Bornstein, Director, Corporate Regulation at The Australia Institute.
“An astonishing 93% of Australians support laws that require Big Tech companies to stop promoting illegal and harmful content on their platforms and instead remove it. That support is strong right across party lines.
“54% of Australians support the jailing of company executives who facilitate online harm. That response is indicative of the volcanic anger in the community about the failure to hold Big Tech companies to account for the damage that they are doing. We all have either experienced online harm or know someone who has. Politicians considering opposing stronger regulation of Big Tech will find this poll very sobering.
“Almost three quarters of Australians support having the right to pursue Big Tech for compensation where they are harmed. Australians want agency and autonomy over how they respond to online abuses and they want the choice to take civil action.”
YouGov conducted a survey of 1042 Australian residents on behalf of The Australia Institute between 4 and 8 September 2026, using an online polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements.
