Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In rising to speak in support of the Enhancing Online Safety (Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2018 and the government's amendments today, I'd like to begin by congratulating the government on listening to Australians and letting them be the guiding force behind this change. Through extensive consultation during 2017, those impacted told us that their most important concern was ensuring that images that have been posted on the internet or on social media are rapidly removed. I'm proud to be part of a government that has listened to that feedback and is delivering effective and timely removal of non-consensually-shared images. It's critically important that we pass this bill and protect men and women from what is becoming an increasingly common type of online abuse.

The responsibility for the non-consensual distribution of intimate, nude and sexual images lies entirely with the individuals who choose to distribute them, and they should face serious consequences for their actions. However, as we, rightly, condemn those abusers who share the images and legislate to protect innocent people from them, we should not be afraid to also reiterate the importance of being aware of one's own security online and taking steps to help to protect oneself from falling victim to this form of abuse. Unfortunately, a great many of the images involved in this kind of abuse were created consensually or taken by the complainant themselves. Though this does not in any way excuse those that share them without consent, it is a simple fact that voluntarily allowing intimate images to be created and to be possessed by others substantially increases the risk that an individual will leave themselves vulnerable to the vagaries of human relationships. Just as we inform the public about precautions we can take to protect ourselves from any other type of crime or abuse, I believe we should also seek to educate both men and women in Australia about the risks of these breaches of trust, and to encourage them not to allow images of themselves of this kind to be created in the first place. I would urge everyone in Fisher and throughout the country to be aware of their own personal safety in this regard and not to consent to these images being taken in the first instance. Put simply, I would suggest that people just don't take photos of themselves in compromising positions or allow others to do so. It's not worth the risk. And do you know what? It's not rocket science. But, if there is anyone out there for whom this is a form of self-expression and for whom it is important enough to take the risk, I would urge them to make sure that they retain control of the images produced and do not allow any other person to possess them.

If anyone watching believes that they have been subject to image based abuse, I'd encourage them to immediately contact the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, which is already able to provide a great deal of support and, in many cases, has been able to successfully have images removed. Since early 2018, the eSafety Commissioner's office has received 217 reports of image based abuse involving 349 separate sharing locations. The commissioner has been successful in having image based abuse material removed in most cases but, unfortunately, those reported represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Research by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University has found that one in five Australians aged between 16 and 49 have experienced the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Unfortunately, as many as one in two people with a disability are affected. Younger Australians in particular are also highly represented in this group, with one in three teenagers aged 16 to 19 and one in four people in their 20s being adversely affected. These statistics only include those who have discovered that their images have been taken and distributed, and chances are there are many more where they haven't been discovered. A study by the Social Science Research Network in the US found more than 3,000 websites which host intimate images shared without consent, with many giving the full names and even contact details of those photographed.

Mr Deputy Speaker Andrews, you and many others in this place, if not all, know the consequences and how devastating they can be. Those impacted by image based abuse of any kind are twice as likely as others to report experiencing high levels of psychological distress. The eSafety Commissioner tells us that many of those impacted experience long-term anxiety, fear and depression. As many as 49 per cent of complainants in one US study reported receiving unsolicited cyberstalking or harassment from strangers who had seen their images. Reports from all over the world attest to the fact that, in some cases, this abuse can, sadly—very sadly—lead to suicide.

Parents, please remind your children, even if they're over 18, that if they take part in what is referred to as sexting they lose all control over those images, and chances are they will never get them back. They could end up, for example, being posted on the dark web by paedophile groups, who share such images worldwide for profit.

The coalition government has already taken action to deal with this increasing threat. It was the coalition that established the Children's eSafety Commissioner in July 2015 and the Turnbull government that expanded its role to encompass e-safety information and support for all Australians. In total, the government committed $10 million to support those affected in 2016-17, including $4.8 million to allow the eSafety Commissioner to develop and implement an online complaints portal for image based abuse which delivers fast access to very tangible help. In the latest federal budget, the government allocated an additional $14.2 million to facilitate the ongoing delivery of new and existing initiatives. These include new resources for frontline workers and school chaplains, targeted materials to support vulnerable Australians and online safety training to pre-service teachers at university. This action to date has been important and welcome, but I believe that as parliamentarians we should all play a part in raising awareness of these issues.

Like many electorates around the country, my electorate of Fisher includes nearly 10,000 young people aged between 18 and 24, who are particularly at risk, as well as thousands more students at 13 secondary schools, who are, regrettably, increasingly facing cyberabuse of all kinds. I myself have four daughters, all of whom are now young women. The distress that an incident of this kind would cause them, and the possible consequences for their careers, their relationships and perhaps even their mental health, are hard to fathom. I've therefore taken a particular interest in the issue of cyberabuse.

In February this year, I invited the eSafety Commissioner, Ms Julie Inman Grant, to the electorate of Fisher to promote the work of the office and to help educate the community about how they can be safer online. Julie spoke at my event at Kawana Waters State College about cyberabuse of all kinds and provided advice on how students can report it. I'm following up this work with a practical e-safety awareness poster which I'm distributing to schools and other prominent community locations for display.

I've worked with the relevant ministers to explore what more we can do to criminalise the worst forms of cyberbullying and have met with the Prime Minister's generous support with the world's leading social media companies to seek change at a corporate level. As such, I'm grateful to the government for bringing forward this latest piece of legislation which will complement existing criminal offences at a state and Commonwealth level and ensure that we get this content offline as quickly as possible.

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