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Aussies further protected by the Online Safety Act

Eliza Sayon Jan 24, 2022

2 min read

The Australian Government’s Online Safety Act has come into effect, providing the eSafety Commissioner with even stronger powers to keep Australians safe online.

Following its approval in the Australian Parliament, the Online Safety Act will bring big changes in the country’s internet landscape. One of these is establishing a world-first cyber-abuse take-down scheme to protect adults and a strengthened cyber-bullying scheme to protect children.

The Act now also provides the eSafety Commissioner with the authority to order platforms to remove the “worst of the worst” online content such as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content no matter where in the world it is hosted.

Aside from this, the eSafety Commissioner also now has stronger information gathering and investigative powers to obtain identity information behind anonymous online accounts used to bully, abuse or exchange illegal content.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the new Online Safety Act is another step forward in the Australian Government’s world-leading approach to combating cyber abuse.

“Online safety is a priority for the Morrison Government and our new Online Safety Act is the foundation on which our world-leading approach stands,” Minister Fletcher said.

“As more Australians work, learn and conduct business online, the Government will make sure that they can do so safely, and that perpetrators are being held accountable for abusive and threatening behaviour.”

The Online Safety Act puts the tech industry on notice as the Basic Online Safety Expectations sets a new benchmark for platforms to take responsibility in protecting Australians online.

“The internet has brought immense advantages, but also new risks, and Australians rightly expect the big tech companies to do more to make their products safer for users,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Australians deserve to be able to use online platforms in the knowledge that they will be safe from vile and unacceptable online abuse, along with other dangers.”

Source: Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Media Release

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.