Social Media Behind Nearly Half of AHPRA Racism Complaints
24 Jul 2026
Almost half of the racism and discrimination complaints received by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) are linked to social media, prompting the regulator to update its guidance for health practitioners.
AHPRA reviewed 477 complaints made between 1 July 2023 and 28 February 2026 and found that 44% were related to practitioners' social media activity.
The review included 128 complaints involving antisemitism and 104 involving Islamophobia, with up to 85% of these connected to online posts or comments.
AHPRA said practitioners are free to express their views and discuss public issues, but online activity must remain professional and should not include discrimination, harassment or behaviour that could cause harm.
The regulator also noted that racism in healthcare is likely to be under-reported, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, meaning the number of complaints may not reflect the full extent of the problem.
Following the review, AHPRA updated its social media guidance to provide clearer examples of online conduct that may lead to regulatory action.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright welcomed the additional guidance, saying it gives GPs greater clarity about how complaints are managed and improves transparency around the notification process.
The review also found AHPRA reduced the average time to finalise racism and discrimination complaints from 132 days in 2024–25 to 53 days in 2025–26.
Social Media Behind Nearly Half of AHPRA Racism Complaints
Source: newsGP, reporting on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) review