PRIVACY ACT REFORMS IN AUSTRALIA RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT FREE SPEECH

Thu 15 February 2024:

Australians who disclose personal information about people without authority are being warned as the government expedites efforts to make “doxing” a crime.

Hundreds of well-known individuals of Jewish descent who belonged to a closed WhatsApp group had their identities, images, and social media profiles leaked online.

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus outlined the plans and emphasized the urgency of protecting Australians in the digital realm with bolstered privacy protections. He also highlighted recent incidents targeting the Australian Jewish community.

The proposed reforms to the Privacy Act aim to provide stronger legal frameworks to tackle online malice, according to a statement from the office of Australia’s top prosecutor.

Dreyfus stressed the importance of empowering regulatory bodies and collaborating with social media platforms to remove harmful content and identify perpetrators.

The plan also seeks to combat anonymous accounts engaging in malicious activities, empower regulatory bodies to address platforms facilitating doxing, and potentially incorporate measures to address online hate speech within the Religious Discrimination Bill.

While specifics are still in development, the government plans to consult stakeholders before finalizing the reforms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said the doxxing that took place was completely unacceptable.

“This is not the Australia that we want to see,” he said.

“These are 600 people in the creative industries, people like Deborah Conway the singer, people who are in the arts and creative sector, who had a WhatsApp group.

“Not a WhatsApp group that was heavily political, a WhatsApp group to provide support for each other because of the rise in anti-Semitism that we’ve seen.

“And what we’ve seen is them being targeted.”

The announcement has received mixed reactions, with some applauding the commitment to online safety and others expressing concerns about potential limitations on free speech.

While opposition cyber security spokesman James Paterson supported the proposed laws, he said press freedoms must be taken into consideration.

“I’m sure it can be drafted in a way that both protects the community from this insidious and dangerous practice and preserves press freedom,” he told reporters.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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