Australia has a strong record of advancing and protecting political rights and civil liberties. Challenges to these freedoms include the threat of foreign political influence, harsh policies toward asylum seekers, de facto discrimination against LGBT+ people, legal constraints on the press, and ongoing difficulties in ensuring the equal rights of First Nations Australians.

• The social media company Meta announced in March that it would not renew agreements it reached under a 2021 law to pay Australian news outlets for the use of their content on its platforms; the firm’s Facebook platform subsequently shut down its “news” tab for Australian users. The move raised concerns about the finances of Australian media, and several news organizations carried out staff cuts later in the year. Separately, in November Parliament enacted a law that would bar children under age 16 from using social media. The law, which was not expected to be enforced before late 2025, prompted warnings that age-verification tools could undermine the privacy and security of all users, and that exclusion from social media could increase the isolation of some young people.
• Sam Mostyn, a businesswoman and gender equality advocate, was appointed in April to serve as governor-general—the monarch’s representative as head of state—and took office in July.
• In August, Parliament enacted legislation that enabled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party government to place the construction wing of one of Australia’s largest unions, the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), into administration based on allegations—untested in court—that it had links to organized crime. The government-appointed administrators, who were installed later that month, were empowered to fire union employees and expel members, alter the CFMEU’s internal rules, and disqualify union officers for up to five years. The takeover prompted street protests in major cities in September, and it came as the union movement sought to reverse a long-term decline in membership; while only 13.1 percent of Australian workers were union members as of August, down from about 40 percent in 1992, this represented an increase from 12.5 percent in 2022.
• In October, a new Administrative Review Tribunal officially replaced the older Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), which reviewed the merits of administrative decisions by government agencies but had drawn accusations that it was stacked with appointees linked to the right-leaning opposition Liberal Party and National Party. The government sought to address concerns about politicization of the new tribunal by introducing measures to ensure a transparent, merit-based appointment process.
• The government continued to introduce new immigration laws to bolster its powers following a 2023 court decision that banned the indefinite detention of asylum seekers and recognized refugees. In late November, Parliament enacted three laws that restricted immigration detainees’ access to mobile phones, set criminal penalties for failed asylum seekers and others who refuse to cooperate with their own deportations, and facilitated deportations to third countries.
• Parliament adopted a number of laws during the year that were aimed at improving conditions for workers in the country. A measure that came into force in August granted eligible employees a right to refuse to monitor or respond to work-related communications outside their working hours, with disputes over the “reasonableness” of the refusal to be resolved by the Fair Work Commission. Legislation that took effect in October stipulated that employees who initiate legal claims against their employers for discrimination or harassment would not be required to pay their employer’s legal costs, even if they are unsuccessful in court.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.