Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Enhancing Online Safety for Children Amendment Bill 2017 is recognition that online safety is a fundamental right for all Australians, no matter what their age, gender, race, sexuality, ability or occupation. Since it was established two years ago, the Children's eSafety Commissioner has carried out more than 15,000 investigations into online content, including 9,000 cases of online sexual abuse. This shows the scope of the problem with cyberbullying, trolls, threats, intimidation and personal attacks carried out online. More than 92,000 students and teachers have been reached through the e-safety virtual classrooms. Further to that, more than 1,200 frontline professionals have received training in how to help women who are experiencing abuse and harassment online as part of the Women's Safety Package.

This has been a hugely successful start. Now it is time to expand the program to ensure that every person in Australia can access the internet without fear of ongoing harassment or vilification. These efforts need to be wide reaching, diverse and, importantly, they must evolve as quickly as technology does. The keyboard is now mightier than the sword, and cruel words typed onto the internet can have tremendous power. Adults may have a thicker skin and greater perspective than children, but relentless attacks from online trolls can and do wear down our defences.

No-one is truly immune from the threat of cyberbullies. This is particularly true in the case where these personal attacks are shared rapidly among peers online, where they can be seen by many others. This is humiliating enough when it is a derogatory statement or criticism, but it is utterly devastating in cases such as revenge porn, when intimate images are circulated widely. In many cases the victims suffer in silence, as they do not know how to stop the onslaught or where they can get help. This can lead to serious mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, and can even be so serious that it causes people to become suicidal.

Whether it is online trolling, hacking, impersonation or degrading remarks, the actions of bullies can have a lasting and significant impact, no matter what the victim's age. That is why the federal government is seeking to expand the role of the eSafety Commissioner to help a broader range of Australians, including the elderly, victims of domestic and family violence and people who have had private or personal images shared without consent.

The Enhancing Online Safety for Children Amendment Bill will change the name of the Children's eSafety Commissioner to the eSafety Commissioner to reflect the broader role in online safety. The new name and role will make it clear to members of the public that all Australians can go to the commissioner for assistance if they have concerns about illegal or offensive content posted online—if they have faced the so-called revenge porn posts or if they need general advice on how to stay safe online. While the commissioner will not have the ability to receive complaints from adults about cyberbullying material, the bill is recognition of the government's commitment to improve and promote online safety for all Australians through education initiatives and research.

The bill amendment will allow the commissioner to carry out work on the federal government's election commitment relating to women's safety and the safety of older Australians online, ensuring that they have the skills to participate in our modern digital economy. These changes will complement the existing work the commissioner and the Department of Social Services are doing to develop a digital inclusion and online safety strategy for older Australians. The federal government recognises the important role technology plays in keeping Australians connected. Eighty per cent of people own smartphones and tablets to help them stay in touch with family and friends, but only one in five aged people in Australia use smartphone technology, because many fear that they do not have the skills needed and are hesitant to take part in today's digital world. The federal government is investing $50 million to improve the digital literacy of older Australians, keep them connected with their loved ones and give them the confidence to participate online.

In relation to the safety of women and children online, as part of its commitment to reducing violence against women and their children, including online abuse, the government has agreed to develop principles for national and consistent criminal offences relating to the sharing of revenge porn images and a public consultation process to impose civil penalties against perpetrators and websites that host intimate images or videos that are shared without consent.

On 19 May a meeting of the COAG Law, Crime and Community Safety Council released a National Statement of Principles Relating to the Criminalisation of the Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images. The national statement of principles will give state and territory governments a shared framework to develop and review criminal laws relating to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Additionally, on 20 May the government released a discussion paper and called for substantial submissions on a proposed civil penalty regime that will target both perpetrators and sites that host intimate images and videos that have been shared without consent. Civil penalties could complement an online complaints portal currently being developed which will allow victims to report instances of image based abuse and access support. The portal is expected to be launched by the Office of the Children's eSafety Commissioner in the second half of 2017.

These changes acknowledge that attacks online are often conducted as part of a sustained campaign of victimisation in the real world and must be tackled within the broader framework of preventing family violence. By expanding the function of the eSafety Commissioner, the Enhancing Online Safety for Children Amendment Bill will complement existing legislation arrangements for Australian adults to address cyberbullying, cyberhate, trolling and other malicious and offensive online behaviour and promote the online safety of all Australians. The bill will help bridge the great digital divide faced by our older generations and ensure that those Australians who are most vulnerable online, including victims of violence, children and the elderly, are given the skills and support to participate with confidence in an increasingly technological world. I commend this bill and the work being carried out by the federal government to allow all Australians to enjoy safe use of the internet.

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