World

New Aussie regime could force social networks to remove bullying content

Updated: Wednesday, July 1 2015 4.30 p.m. AEST with a statement from Twitter

Opening up a new front in the fight against cyberbullying, Australian kids and their parents can now ask the government to remove humiliating posts on social media.

Calling itself a "one-stop-shop" for online safety, the Office of the Children’s e-Safety Commissioner will work with social media services and other online platforms to take down material deemed to be bullying in nature as part of a program launched Wednesday.

One in five Australian kids are affected by cyberbullying each year, the country's first ever Children’s e-Safety Commissioner, Alastair MacGibbon, told Mashable Australia, and you only have to chat to kids, parents and teachers to know it's getting worse.

Cyberbullying on social media and online games, as well as in SMS and email, can have a catastrophic impact on kids and their families. "The nature and reach of these services and the key roles they play in kids' lives is 24-7 and very impactful," MacGibbon said. "It follows the child around, affects their social standing and has a wide range of consequences."

How does the regime work?

Before making a formal complaint, the office recommends the under-18 victim "block, unfriend or unfollow" the bully and talk to an adult. If the service doesn't take the offending material down, then a complaint can be made to the office and it will investigate and work to get it removed.

The material will need to be seriously threatening, intimidating, harassing or humiliating in nature, and could have been posted anywhere from Facebook to on online games.

MacGibbon said the office has so far had productive discussions with the major social networks about the initiative. Cyberbullying is not a new issue for platforms like Twitter, and he said he has some of them on "speed dial" and is confident they will act appropriately.

Under the regime, two tiers will be established for online services. Tier 1 companies, which currently include Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo!7 Groups and Flickr, among others, will have an established relationship with the office whereby material can be voluntarily removed.

If large social media services do not become part of Tier 1, they could be brought into a civil penalties regime and issued a A$17,000 fine per day per matter if they refuse to take the material down. Nevertheless, the regime is intended to work with a light touch. "It's about cooperation," MacGibbon said.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the company was Tier One to Mashable Australia. The service worked closely with the commissioner in the lead up to the scheme being launched, but they don't expect a huge volume of complaints. "We'd encourage people to report any abusive behaviour to Twitter," he said. "We all have the same goals: To keep kids safe online."

Facebook has also been contacted for comment.

Recognising that new social media networks and online platforms with the potential to become locations for bullying launch daily, MacGibbon said the office is focused on those services which have the greatest impact on the greatest number of kids. "We're never going to cover them all," he said. "But we have a pretty good idea of what kids are using, and we'll keep looking out for new services."

Changing online culture

In addition to running the online bullying take down scheme, the team also plans to work with schools, kids and parents to help make Australian kids more robust and safe online.

"If we just play a whack-a-mole role, just taking material down, we've failed. If we don't change the culture, then we're not really doing our job," MacGibbon said. "I'm not naive as to how hard that change will be."

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.