As children unwrap smartphones and laptops for Christmas, fears have been growing that excessive time spent online and on sites such as Facebook and Twitter may have a harmful effect on the physical and mental wellbeing of vulnerable young Australians. A federal parliamentary inquiry into social media and online safety has heard worrying accounts of big tech placing privacy first and child safety second, prompting calls for government intervention. Sonya Ryan, a child safety advocate, expressed concern that children using platforms without restriction provided an opportunity for predators. Her daughter, Carly, was murdered in 2007 by serial pedophile Garry Francis Newman after he befriended the 15-year-old girl online. “When it comes to young people’s safety, every measure should be taken,” she told the inquiry on Dec. 21. Ryan said that incident could have been avoided but social media platforms had refused to cooperate with law enforcement due to concerns about …