Victoria announces new social media ‘demasking’ powers for accounts accused of vilification | Victoria
Social media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online defamation under new laws proposed in Victoria.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announced a series of social media reforms on Sunday and said parents needed new ways to protect their children online.
Under the proposed changes (the first for an Australian state), Victoria’s civil and administrative tribunal (Vcat) would be given “unmasking” powers to order platforms to reveal the identities of account holders in these cases.
The state government will also lower the legal threshold for suing social media and AI platforms for negligent psychiatric harm to children.
Current law requires families to prove that the child suffers a permanent disability of at least 10% before seeking compensation.
These assessments are made by medical practitioners who apply calculations to estimate how significant a particular injury is.
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, an associate professor of law at the University of Western Australia who specializes in social media regulation, 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.
Bromberg also welcomed moves to 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.
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.
The decision was praised by some as a turning point in the global backlash against the platforms’ perceived mental health harms to young people.
Bromberg said time would tell whether Victoria’s changes would open the door to similar cases in Australia.
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan said the changes were long overdue.
“Social media and artificial intelligence companies design their platforms to be addictive, and our children are paying the price,” he said.
“If a platform harms a child, families should be able to take that company to court.”
Both reforms will be developed after consultations with Vcat, the courts and other stakeholders.
