Australia's online safety bill adds gender-based violence rules, drops drug-use clause
The Labor-backed online safety bill now bans platforms that promote gender-based violence, while removing illicit-drug content from its list of prohibited material.
Australia's flagship online safety bill, championed by the Labor Party, has been revised to penalise digital platforms that facilitate the promotion of gender-based violence, alongside new offences for creating non-consensual nude imagery and sharing intimate images without consent. Communications Minister Anika Wells eliminated the clause targeting illicit-drug encouragement and also stripped the minister of discretionary power to define online harms.
The Greens, with spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young as the bill's pivotal supporter, are pushing for revenue-based fines and a private-right of action against tech firms. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson obtained exemptions for news, entertainment, artistic and research material. Additional provisions aim to curb addictive design features such as infinite scrolling, and a 12-month transition period will allow platforms to adjust to the new rules.
Why it matters
The changes will shape how Australian social media companies handle harmful content and could set a precedent for tech regulation worldwide.
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