Anthony Albanese slams social media giants for pushing young people towards extreme content after teen killed by police

Anthony Albanese has taken a swipe at social media giants and the power of algorithms “pushing people toward extremes” after a teenager was shot dead by police when he stabbed a man while “on the path of jihad”.

Social media giants have again been put on notice by the Prime Minister, who dialled up his language on the algorithms in the wake of the attack in a Perth Bunnings carpark.

The 16-year-old unleashed his attack at the Willetton Bunnings carpark about 10.15pm on Saturday, with police shooting the boy after they were unable to stop him with police Tasers.

The teenager stabbed one man, who remains at Royal Perth Hospital in a stable condition.

Prior to his attack, the teenager sent a message to several people on social media saying he was going “on the path of jihad”, with The West Australian reporting that members of Perth’s concerned Islamic community alerted police to the messages.

“Brothers please forgive me for any time I have wronged you, I am going on the path of jihad tonight for the sake of Allah,” the boy, who had reportedly converted to Islam, wrote.

“I am a soldier of the mujahideen of al-Qa’ida and take responsibility for the actions that will … take place tonight.”

He also warned his contacts to “clear” incriminating evidence from devices like laptops and phones.

“If you have any illegal or jihadi things online or in real life please make sure to hide them well and clear your technology such as laptops and phones including search history … as the police will likely look into my contacts,” he wrote.

Mr Albanese on Monday slammed social media, telling reporters that people were often pushed towards “more extreme positions” through the use of algorithms.

He said the influence on young people was “concerning”.

“It is a dynamic that isn’t just an issue for government. It is an issue for our entire society, whether it be violent extremism, misogyny and violence against women,” he said.

“It is an issue that of course I am concerned about, it is something that authorities are concerned about, but it is something that parents are concerned about as well in schools and on the sidelines of footy games or netball games or whatever sport is played on the weekend.”

Mr Albanese acknowledged the actions of the Muslim community in alerting police to the incident.

He said it was the “right time” to back the police and the processes they undertake.

“My first thoughts are with the victim of this incident but also to applaud the very swift action of WA Police in acting here, to also acknowledge the very important work that the Muslim community did to alert police to the messages that had been sent out by this young man,” Mr Albanese said.

It has since been revealed the teenager reportedly attempted to indoctrinate peers at his school and had spent more than two years in a “deradicalisation” program after he was radicalised online.

He’d been known to police since the age of 14 and had mental health issues.

The teenager had attended Perth’s prestigious Rossmoyne Senior High School, with one parent telling The West Australian that a “group of boys” attempted to “indoctrinate” her son.

The state’s Department of Education was alerted, with parents also sharing concerns with the Australian Federal Police.

On Sunday, WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner Col Blanch didn’t go as far to call the incident a terrorist attack despite carrying all the “hallmarks” of one.

“I believe this is a person acting alone. I don’t need additional capability at this time whilst it meets the criteria or at least the definition,” Mr Blanch said.

“It would be too early for me to act now because I don’t have the concerns of a broader network that might be involved at this stage.”