Government reviews online safety legislation
The federal government has commissioned independent reviews of key online safety legislation, communications minister Senator Mitch Fifield announced today.
The federal government has commissioned independent reviews of key online safety legislation, communications minister Senator Mitch Fifield announced today.
The government has introduced a bill in the lower house that broadens the role of the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner. The government last year foreshadowed the changes, which will see the agency’s name changed to Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Director of the Centre for Internet Safety at the University of Canberra, Alastair MacGibbon, has been announced as the federal government’s first Children's e-Safety Commissioner.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Commonwealth Bank volunteers nationwide are stepping up the fight against online bullying and child exploitation by educating parents, teachers and community members about cyber safety for kids.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has launched cyber safety videos and resources to discourage sexting and cyber bullying amongst Indigenous communities around Australia.
The Australian government’s proposed child cyber safety policy has drawn a positive response from the information security industry.
The Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA), AIMIA Digital Policy Group,Microsoft, Yahoo!7, Facebook, Freelancer, eBay, Google and Twitter have criticised the Australian government’s proposed child cyber safety policy, saying that it will be “counterproductive” to the online safety work they are already doing.
A House of Representatives committee has urged parliament to begin a far reaching inquiry into cyber safety, cultural, policy and literacy issues for Indigenous Australians.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard was on hand in Sydney this week to launch a new cyber education module called bCyberwise. Developed by Life Education and McAfee, the program is designed to teach primary school students about online dangers such as becoming `friends' with strangers and cyber bullying. The program will be rolled out to Australian schools from 4 February.
Students are not the only ones in need of education when it comes to online security, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The Coalition has announced it will spend $10.5 million on a National Cyberbullying Taskforce as part of its wider cyber-safety policy.
Evidence heard at the Cyber Safety Committee roundtable in Melbourne has been cited by the Greens and the Opposition as further reason for the Federal Government to drop its controversial mandatory ISP-level filter.
The Federal and State government attorney generals have agreed to establish a National Cybercrime Working Group to coordinate a response to online threats, including the increasing rate of bullying.
Three Google executives were handed suspended six month prison sentences by a Milan court on Wednesday for privacy law violations relating to a video posted on Google Video showing the bullying of a handicapped boy.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has extended its cyber safety education program to trainee teachers, with the introduction of a new program.