Massive fines for abusive trolling

TROLLS risk six-figure fines for posting revenge porn, bullying children or abusing adults online, under world-first cyber safety laws for Australia.

The world’s toughest takedown laws for online abuse – including new powers to unmask anonymous trolls – will be introduced to federal parliament in the new year.

The new laws will include fines of up to $111,000 for adults who post “seriously harmful content’’ online – such as death threats, menacing messages or revenge porn.

The Morrison government will grant eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant rapid website-blocking power to respond to “crisis events’’, such as the Christchurch shootings, by asking internet service providers to block access to terrorist and extreme violent content for a limited time period.

Online games, such as Fortnite and Call of Duty, will be added to the social media sites forced to erase within 24 hours bullying messages to children or threats to adults.

Sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and gaming platforms will have to erase harmful content within 24 hours, instead of the 48 hours under existing laws protecting children from cyber bullies.

And they will be forced to monitor data and report to the federal government to detect “digital lynch mobs’’ ganging up on victims.

Communications and Cyber Safety Minister Paul Fletcher on Tuesday warned trolls they could lose their homes under the world’s toughest anti-bullying laws.

“In the worst cases we could see people facing significant financial penalties for posting cyber abuse and failing to take it down – $111,000 is a lot of money,’’ he told News Corp Australia. “You should not do or say things online that you wouldn’t in the physical world.

“Don’t think you can get away with it and nobody knows who you are, because your identity can be uncovered and you can be subject to action by authorities.’’

Journalist Erin Molan, AFLW player Tayla Harris and former NRL coach Anthony Seibold have been victims of online abuse and “pile-ons’’.

Cyber bulling triggered the suicide of 14-year-old Amy “Dolly” Everett in 2018.

The draft Online Safety Bill will give the eSafety Commissioner new powers to force social media companies offering services here to hand over the identification details of trolls hiding behind pseudonyms.

Trolls would be issued a “take-down notice’’ and hauled before the Federal Court, with hefty penalties if they refuse to comply within 24 hours. Fines could be as high as $111,000 for individuals and $555,000 for corporations such as Facebook.

Mr Fletcher said trolls and companies based overseas would fall under the Australian law if they bully an Australian resident.

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