Government begins online safety review amid X spat
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The Albanese government and the Independent Reviewer have begun a review of online safety laws that will consider whether existing penalties and enforcement powers are fit for purpose.
The context: The review will also take into account international developments in online safety regulation and whether Australia's online safety law should impose a new duty of care on digital platforms towards their users.
Public consultations will run until 21 June and the review will lead to a report to government by 31 October.
Former deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Delia Rickard will conduct the independent review.
In November 2023 the government announced that the commencement of the review would be brought forward a year from 2025.
The announcement comes a week after the eSafety Commissioner announced legal action against Elon Musk's X Corp. over orders to remove graphic footage of last week’s stabbing of a Christian bishop in Sydney’s west.
What they said: In a media release announcing the review, Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said: "The Government is considering a range of matters, including the strength of penalties, ensuring industry acts in the best interests of children, and taking lessons from overseas".
"This is an opportunity for the community and civil society to have a role in reforms to strengthen our online safety laws, so they are fit for purpose in an ever-changing online environment,” she said.
The source: Minister for Communications
