What is doxxing – and why Anthony Albanese wants to ban it NOW
- Anthony Albanese wants to criminalize ‘doxxing’
Social media platforms used to distribute people’s personal information without consent could soon be hit with a fine or takedown notice under sweeping new anti-‘doxxing’ laws.
Anthony Albanese’s government is accelerating efforts to criminalize so-called ‘doxxing’ following an incident involving the Jewish community.
Hundreds of public figures of Jewish descent who were members of a private WhatsApp group had their names, photos and social media accounts published online by pro-Palestinian activists, with prominent social media personality Clementine Ford publishing a link to the list .
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government wants to ban doxxing – the online disclosure of an individual’s personal information without consent
One business owner, who requested anonymity, reported receiving dozens of abusive messages despite only being part of the group for three days.
In response, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus is exploring laws that would address doxxing and strengthen protections against hate speech.
The government’s online security watchdog defines doxing broadly as “the deliberate disclosure of an individual’s identity, private information or personal data online without that individual’s consent.”
When asked for his definition, Mr. Dreyfus said it is “the malicious disclosure of people’s personal information without their consent.”
Social media personality Clementine Ford published a link to the list of members of the WhatsApp group
“The recent attacks on members of the Australian Jewish community through practices such as doxing were shocking, but unfortunately this is far from an isolated incident,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
‘We live in a vibrant, multicultural community that we must try to protect.
“Australians should not be targeted because of their race or because of their religion.”
The potential changes would use the eSafety Commissioner’s powers to send takedown notices to social media sites and impose fines, among other measures.
When asked by a reporter whether the publication of the group chats would initially be considered doxing by a newspaper, Mr. Dreyfus could not give a clear answer.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has quietly introduced major changes to Australia’s privacy laws
“We’re seeing that with the massive changes in digital technology that are happening across our society, the potential for invasions of privacy, the potential for using people’s information without consent, the potential for truly malicious actions to take place, affecting hundreds of thousands meet people. , very, very, quickly has been made possible.
‘The legislation is struggling to keep up. That’s part of the reason behind this Privacy Act reform that we started. And clearly we need to look at all these things.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that the doxxing was completely unacceptable.
“This is not the Australia we want to see,” he said.
‘These are 600 people in the creative industries, people like Deborah Conway the singer, people from the arts and creative industries, who had a WhatsApp group.
‘Not a WhatsApp group that was heavily political, but a WhatsApp group that supported each other because of the rise in anti-Semitism that we have seen.
“And what we’ve seen is that they are being targeted.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the government’s plan to make doxxing a crime.
“We look forward to working with the government to ensure the full extent of the harm caused is understood and that the new laws effectively protect Australians from this shameful and dangerous practice,” council leader Daniel Aghion said.