Public consultation is now open for the review of the Unlawful Material Codes (Phase 1 Online Safety Codes).
These Codes are mandatory, and enforceable regulations under the Online Safety Act 2021 that include obligations on digital services across the tech stack to take action against the most serious unlawful online content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), pro-terror material, and material promoting extreme violence, including from hosting services to ISPs, search engines, app stores and social media services. The Unlawful Material Codes form a crucial part of Australia’s world leading online safety framework, meeting or exceeding comparable international regimes in scope.
The review is examining whether the Codes remain current. Specifically, the associations will consider:
- Changes in the threat and technological landscape, such as the rapid growth of generative AI tools.
- Changes in Australia’s regulatory settings, including the commencement of the co-regulatory Age-Restricted Material Codes and the Government’s plans for a Digital Duty of Care.
- The need to resolve terminology inconsistencies and ensure compliance measures are clearly understood.
