Australia’s government has been taking proactive measures to reduce online harms. Their latest initiative sees the country’s eSafety Commissioner agree to further cooperation with the police authorities in New South Wales.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb signed an agreement on new protocols for cooperation when investigating online harms in the country.
The agreement will see the eSafety office share information with the police regarding the thousands of complaints it receives every month, it shared in a recent press release.
On Linkedin, Inman Grant wrote “All of us at the eSafety Commissioner were thrilled to sign this strengthened MOU with NSW Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb, the largest police agency in the Southern Hemisphere”.
“We have long had a close partnership with #StrikeForceTrawler on combatting online child sexual exploitation & a significant proportion of our investigators have a proud history with NSWPol.”
Looking at the issues forcing this cooperation, Inman Grant highlighted a 65% increase in cyberbullying in the last financial year, as well as a more than 50% increase in image-based abuse and a 45% jump in illegal & restricted content.
“As well as higher volumes, we’ve also observed online content and threats becoming more violent and, at times, criminal”, she explained.
“As a result, we’re seeing increased community concern about everything from online dating to sextortion, cyberbullying and youth crime being shared and promoted through social media”, the eSafety Commissioner highlighted.
Image from LinkedIn page of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.