"Demasking" Powers Aim To Put Anonymous Trolls On Notice
The package would let courts reveal anonymous users and reduce barriers for parents suing social media and AI companies over harm to children.
- Premier Jacinta Allan announced "Australia-first" legislation allowing the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to issue "demasking orders," forcing social media companies to reveal the identities of anonymous users breaching Victoria's anti-vilification laws.
- The Morrison government previously pitched similar laws in 2021, but the legislation failed to pass and faced criticism from legal experts for offering little benefit to ordinary users without financial resources.
- Under the proposed changes, parents would face fewer barriers to suing tech giants, as the current requirement to prove a child suffered a permanent impairment of at least 10 per cent would be lowered.
- "Too often, words can be used as a weapon to spew out far too much online hate," Allan said, noting parents "do feel powerless" as they struggle to hold anonymous trolls accountable.
- The government aims to introduce the bill before November's state election, though it lacks specific details on how the legislation will adapt to users operating overseas or utilizing VPNs.
17 Articles
17 Articles
"Demasking" Powers Aim To Put Anonymous Trolls On Notice
[Image: Rawpixel] Australia is trying to drag social media abuse out from behind anonymous usernames. For South Africans, and our poor content admins, who regularly watch comment sections turn from polite disagreement into drive-by hate speech, the Australian state of Victoria’s plan is not some distant culture war. It is a preview of the fight every messy democracy seems to be having. But the real question is how much anonymity should a platfor…
Victoria proposes forcing social media platforms to unmask anonymous accounts accused of vilification
Victoria’s premier Jacinta Allan announced on Sunday that the state would propose laws granting the Victorian civil and administrative tribunal power to order social media and AI platforms to reveal the identities of anonymous account holders accused of online vilification. The “demasking” powers would be the first of their kind for an Australian state. Allan […] This story continues at The Next Web
The Epoch Times
The Queenslander‘Demasking’ Powers to Identify Social Media Haters
Victims of online abuse stand to benefit under new powers designed to unmask online hate accounts and hold social media giants to account. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced a suite of social media reforms on Sunday, saying families needed new ways to protect their children online. Under the proposed changes—the first for an Australian state—social media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online vilificati…
Victoria wants to take aim at online trolls, but experts aren't convinced
Jacinta Allan is pledging nation-leading laws forcing tech giants to reveal the identity of trolls, and make it easier for parents to sue tech giants that cause psychiatric harm to their children.
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