Australia: Companies issued legal notice over growing CSAM online
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has issued legal notices to major tech companies regarding their efforts to combat CSAM online. Failure to comply with the Basic Online Safety Expectations outlined in the Online Safety Act 2021 could result in hefty financial penalties. More companies are expected to receive similar notices to evaluate online safety measures comprehensively.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has issued legal notices to Apple, Meta (and WhatsApp), Microsoft (and Skype), Snap and Omegle asking them to report on the measures they are taking to tackle the spread of child sexual exploitation material (CSAM) on their platforms. A key part of Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021 is the Basic Online Safety Expectations, which sets out the minimum safety requirements expected to be taken by tech companies to protect their users, while operating in Australia.
The eSafety Commissioner said that it plans to issue notices to other companies to build a comprehensive picture of online safety measures across a wide range of services.
Companies are expected to respond to the notices within 28 days, failing which they could face financial penalties of up to $555,000 a day.