Budget 2018: Cyberbullying in the crosshairs

The federal government will give the Office of the eSafety Commissioner an extra $14.2 million over four years to help counter cyberbullying and image-based abuse.

“The Government acknowledges community concerns around online harms such as cyber-bullying and image-based abuse and seeks to ensure all Australians can confidently take advantage of the internet,” said the Minister for Communications, Mitch Fifield, in a statement.

The additional funding will be allocated to initiatives such as:

• Delivery of face-to-face presentations and new online resources to empower frontline workers to assist those experiencing technology‑facilitated abuse.
• Continued certification of trainers to present online safety programs in schools and providing online safety training to pre-service teachers at university.
• Administration of a civil penalty regime targeting perpetrators and content hosts who share intimate images without consent.
• Creating targeted materials to support vulnerable Australians, including persons from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Indigenous Australians, experiencing online abuse.
   

The funding will also be used to maintain IT systems to ensure continued protection of highly sensitive material held by the eSafety Office.

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