Social media companies will assume duty of care for user safety under new laws
A new Labor government proposal announced overnight will require social media platforms to be responsible for the mental health of their users as part of the Online Safety Act.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced a new addition to the Online Safety Act This will make social media companies legally responsible for the mental health of Australian users.
Minister Rowland made the announcement overnight during a speech at the not-for-profit Sydney Institute, saying the Albanian government “will develop a digital due diligence regulatory model to ensure user safety and help prevent harm online.
Adopting a digital due diligence model was one of the recommendations made by a recent independent review of the Online Safety Act by ACCC Vice President, Delia Rickard.
Under the proposed laws, social media companies will be required to identify and monitor potential risks to their users and prevent harm online.
“This, as part of a growing global effort, will enable a more systemic and preventative approach to making online services safer and healthier,” Minister Rowland said.
“Where platforms seriously fail in their duty of care – where there are systemic failures – we will ensure that the regulator can resort to severe sanctions. »
The government will also legislate four “lasting harm categories”, which can include harm to children and young people, harm to mental health and wellbeing, sharing and promotion of harmful practices and “other content , illegal conduct and activities.”
“This is an important national debate, and the Commonwealth is providing national leadership,” Minister Rowland said.
“This landmark legislation will place a positive duty on social media to prevent children under this age from having an account. »
There are few details on how the proposed digital due diligence legislation will work in practice; However, the move is already being welcomed by observers.
International Justice Mission Australia CEO David Braga called the proposal a necessary step in reforming the system. Online Safety Act.
“Together with survivors of online child sexual exploitation and child protection advocates across Australia, the International Justice Mission has called for a legal duty of care to be imposed on technology companies of our country as part of the Albanian government’s response to the Online Safety Act review, and we warmly welcome this important announcement from Minister Rowland,” Braga said in a statement.
Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), is also behind the proposed changes to the law.
“DIGI members together represent some of the safest sections of the Internet, and their work to keep the people using their services safe never stops,” Bose said.
“THE Online Safety Act must keep pace with technology, and we welcome efforts to future-proof it.
