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Definitely a bill that could make some waves…

Australian trolls and cyberbullies are definitely feeling the fear right now, with the federal government gearing up for the passing of its Online Safety Bill. If the bill is indeed passed, fines of up to $110,000 could be given to anyone who bullies, offends or trolls on websites or social media platforms. The fine could then escalate to $550,000 for civil penalties.

Specifically, the bill targets whose who write ‘harmful content’ along the lines of death threats, revenge porn or comments that intentionally ‘menace, harass or offend’.

The responsibility is set to fall on social media platforms as well, who’ll be compelled to take down harmful content or face similar fines if they don’t. Trolls will have nowhere to hide as well, as people who use fake profiles or names would also have to have their personal deets handed over to authorities. Speaking on the bill, Federal Minister for Communications and Cyber Safety Paul Fletcher said “We’re taking action to keep Australians safe online.

“It’s not good enough that we can have vicious online trolls engaging in terrible attacks against people, which as we know in some situations have been so bad that they have led to suicide. Australians need to be as safe online as they are offline. We’re seeking comment now on this law and we hope to legislate it next year.

“The internet has brought great social, educational and economic benefits. But just as a small proportion of human interactions go wrong offline, so too are there risks online.”

ESafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has also commented on the negative online behaviour, stating that acts such as cyber bullying, image-based abuse and sex-based extortion have increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it’s hoped that the new bill would help put a stop to this.

It appears that the bill has been in the works for quite a while now, going way back to December of last year. Check out a brief overview below.