Digital Duty of Care legislation, Digi Mart USA News (Australia): Liberal senator Sarah Henderson says the government needs to address gaps in the Digital Duty of Care legislation, which is before a Senate inquiry for a second day. Henderson said the Coalition has concerns that the laws could allow the government “to shut down lawful speech.”
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has dismissed censorship concerns as “baseless” and the “talking points of big tech.” Henderson described the bill as a “dog’s breakfast” and a “shocking failure” by Communications Minister Anika Wells.
Henderson cited concerns from Google that it may have to prevent users under 18 from accessing Gmail, as well as concerns raised by the eSafety Commission. In its submission to the inquiry, the commission recommended clearer definitions for new key terms and harms.
The commission noted that once the digital duty of care takes effect, the Online Safety Codes and Standards will be repealed, and that the new legislation “does not provide any mechanism to set specific obligations.” It said the bill could be amended “to allow for minimum obligations to be prescribed under a disallowable legislative instrument,” adding that such instruments are more flexible and future-proof than embedding obligations in the law.
