Australia orders global tech giants to report anti-child abuse measures

Big tech giants among companies called to urgently report. And failing to respond could bring about heavy daily penalties


Global tech titans such as Apple and also Facebook have been required to show Australian authorities what they are truly undertaking to stop child abuse on their networks or risk daily penalties.

Australia has ordered global tech giants to show what measures they are taking to fight child abuse on their platforms or face large fines, the government declared on Tuesday.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has issued legal notices to Apple; Meta, which is the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and also Instagram; Microsoft, including its Skype platform; Snap; and Omegle.

The action is under the Online Safety Act 2021 and requires the organizations to disclose just how they are dealing with the proliferation of child sexual exploitation material.

In the case that they fail to reply in the timeframe, the organizations could face fines of AU$555,000 every day, according to a statement from the commission. This is the very first such request utilising new legislation that was introduced last year.

Further details are viewable at: esafety.gov.au/industry/basic-online-safety-expectations.

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