The Online Safety Bill 2020: Protecting Adult Victims of Cyber Abuse

The 2015 civil penalties scheme was limited to dealing with the online safety of children and, in 2018, it was amended to regulate image-based abuse of adults and prohibited/illegal online content. If the current Online Safety Bill is passed, it will bestow the eSafety Commissioner with a new power to act upon the cyber abuse of adults. It will also consolidate the existing regulatory framework by adding instant messaging services, in-game communications, and conduits – such as search engines – to the social media services and ISPs who currently may be required to take down or block access to abusive or prohibited material.