Australia’s “Digital Duty of Care” Consultation

A ‘Digital Duty of Care’ for all users in Australia.

Survey being run by the Australian Government that will close on the 7th Dec.

Currently, the Australian Government is running a public survey to help shape a future Digital Duty of Care framework, a model that could require digital platforms to take more responsibility for reducing online harms for all users.

Why fill out this survey?

This consultation gives Australians – including parents, educators, and clinicians- a rare opportunity to share real-world insights into how online environments affect users at a crucial pre-legislation stage, when community input can still meaningfully shape the future Digital Duty of Care bill. Your views matter.

Survey link: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/have-your-say/digital-duty-care (After registering, the survey link will be emailed; check Promotions/Spam.)

Questions include:

• Harmful content for young people (under 18): e.g., bullying and harassment, hate speech, pornography, self-harm content, disordered-eating content, dangerous challenges, etc.
• Harmful platform features for young people: e.g., addictive design (autoplay, infinite scroll, notifications), algorithmic amplification, social metrics (likes), etc.
• Harms and platform design for adults: similar categories as above, but focused on 18+.

Snapshot of Current Australian Online Safety Legislation