Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Amendment Bill 2026, Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026; Second Reading

Summary

Two separate legislative changes are being debated together in the Senate. The first protects major sporting events by preventing unauthorised commercial use of their logos, symbols, and images — stopping companies from profiting off events like the Olympics or World Cup without permission. The second strengthens the Online Safety Act by giving regulators tougher enforcement powers to ensure social media platforms actually comply with minimum age requirements for users. Together, these amendments address concerns about protecting sports intellectual property and keeping children safer online by making it harder for platforms to ignore age restriction rules.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause