Democracy on the line: Australians demand a say over AUKUS, AI and the internet

Australians still say they believe in the ideals of democracy and government. Yet recent reporting paints a worrying picture: that belief is being tested by a growing disconnect between citizens and the institutions that should protect their rights and the integrity of public life. That declining faith in politicians and the political system, the report warns, puts democratic trust at "profound risk". This is not an abstract worry. It feeds directly into how decisions are made about national security, technology and the very sources of information people rely on every day. Consider the new realities we already face. Researchers have identified a "foreign influence" network operating on Facebook that has produced deepfakes of dozens of Australian politicians. Deepfakes are not just a novelty: they can be weaponised to smear candidates, mislead voters and distort public debate. At the same time, Australia is moving to give social media users the option to switch off algorithm-based feeds. That proposal recognises a basic truth: how content is curated matters. Algorithms amplify, prioritise and entrench messages; whether we are exposed to serious policy debate or sensational lies depends in large part on decisions made by platforms tens of thousands of kilometres away. Taken together, these facts underline why Australians are increasingly demanding a greater say over national policy — from AUKUS and defence questions to the rules governing artificial intelligence and online platforms. Citizens do not want to be passive recipients of decisions shaped behind closed doors, nor do they want their democratic discourse hijacked by synthetic images and foreign networks. Trust is eroded when people feel decisions are made without them and when they cannot tell fact from fabrication. Why this matters to ordinary Australians is plain. National security arrangements and major defence partnerships affect taxes, spending and whether young Australians go to war. Rules about AI touch jobs, privacy and safety. The way social media works shapes community relations, political polarisation and even personal mental health. If Australians lose trust in institutions, the consequences ripple into civic life: lower participation, cynicism about public debate and a weakened ability to hold governments to account. Fixing this will not be simple. It requires public institutions to stop treating engagement as an afterthought and to make genuine, sustained investments in transparency and participation. It also demands clear, enforceable rules for tech platforms, so options such as algorithm opt-outs are meaningful in practice rather than cosmetic. Crucially, it calls for stronger safeguards against foreign interference in digital spaces and robust mechanisms to detect and counter manipulated media. None of this undermines the ideals Australians say they still hold dear. On the contrary: the renewed demand for a say signals that citizens want those ideals upheld in the face of new technological and geopolitical pressures. Governments and political leaders should treat that demand not as noise but as a mandate — to rebuild trust by reforming processes, clarifying where power lies and giving people a real stake in shaping the rules that govern modern life. If democracy is to survive these tests, it must be defended not only in the courts and parliaments but in the everyday architecture of the internet, the regulation of new technologies and the openness of decision-making. The report’s warning that trust is at risk should be the spur to action, not an excuse to carry on as before.