Australia launches world’s first online safety codes to curb child abuse, pro-terror content
Canberra
Australia on Friday launched the world’s first online safety codes for the industry to curb the availability of child sexual abuse and pro-terror content on the internet.
Now it has become mandatory for sharing or storage services as iCloud, Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive, online dating apps or websites, and gaming platforms to ensure adequate community safeguards.
The online safety codes are put forth by the eSafety Commissioner of the International Justice Mission which will allow IJM to reject any draft safety codes not enough to deter such content.
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The new mandatory codes will have five sections of the online industry that operate under Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021 to ensure adequate community safeguards to reduce such harmful online content.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, in her report, has rejected DIS (Designated Internet Services) codes and RES (Relevant Electronic Services) codes.
The rejection of these two codes means that Apple’s iCloud, Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and websites and apps covering dating sites, online games, and instant messaging will have to comply with new norms or face penalties.
The rejection came as these products’ services codes didn’t have adequate measures to deter child sexual abuse and pro-terror material.
IJM Australia CEO Steve Baird commended Grant for new online safety codes as ‘our experience in the Philippines points at the use of such platforms for sharing of child sexual abuse content’.
“Australians are among the worst offenders when it comes to purchasing the live-streamed abuse of young children in the Philippines.
It’s important that eSafety as the regulator, together with law enforcement, leads the way in shutting down this abhorrent, growing crime,” Baird added.
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With the enforcement of these rules, eSafety will have the power to investigate and ensure compliance via injunctions or fines amounting to 700,000 dollars per day for continuous violations.
