New laws to force tech giants to unmask online trolls
Victims of online harassment will benefit from new powers designed to unmask online hate accounts and hold social media giants to account.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced a series of social media reforms on Sunday and said families need new ways to protect their children online.
But the opposition has suggested the laws may not see the light of day before state elections in November, despite Ms Allan insisting they would be introduced as a priority.
Under proposed changes – the first for an Australian state – social media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online defamation.
Victoria’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal will be given “unmasking” powers to regulate platforms to reveal the identities of account holders in these cases.
The government will also lower the legal threshold for suing social media and AI platforms for negligence that causes psychiatric harm to children.
Current law requires families to prove that the child suffers a permanent disability of at least 10 percent before suing for compensation.
These evaluations are made by medical practitioners who apply calculations to estimate the severity of a particular injury.
The changes would eliminate this threshold for cases filed on behalf of minors, and other changes would also be considered for adult victims.
Marilyn Bromberg, a law professor at the University of Western Australia, said the changes were a step in the right direction but needed to go further.
So-called “unmasking” powers in some overseas jurisdictions have been shown to deter harmful behavior in some cases, he told AAP.
There is no reason why the reforms cannot be extended to other forms of online behaviour, including insults and cyberbullying.
“It’s a bold start, but I don’t think it will go far enough,” he said.
Assoc. Prof. is an expert on social media regulations. Dr. Bromberg also welcomed moves that will make it easier for families to pursue negligence claims.
“The harm that social media can do to young people has been proven by interesting peer-reviewed studies,” he said.
He said stronger protections would help improve other measures, including Australia’s world-leading minimum age requirements for social media.
Ms Allan said legislation was being prepared that would build on Victoria’s existing anti-defamation regime.
“We will use every day we have to bring these laws to parliament,” he said.
But with just four weeks until the election, shadow attorney general James Newbury said reforms were unlikely to be disrupted.
He said the coalition supports the effort in principle, but its support will depend on the details of the proposal and its likely impact.
“I don’t think Elon Musk is quaking at Jacinta Allan’s statement today,” Mr. Newbury said.
Social media companies face increasing legal challenges from families abroad.
In early 2026, a US jury found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for damages in a landmark social media addiction case that was cited by some as a turning point in the global response to the platforms’ perceived mental health harms to young people.
The Victorian reforms will be developed following consultation with the court, tribunals and other stakeholders.
