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UNICEF Australia welcomes findings of the Online Safety Act review 

UNICEF Australia welcomes the findings of the recently released report on the Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act. This comprehensive review, initiated by the Minister for Communications, Hon Michelle Rowland, has made 67 recommendations to strengthen online safety laws, many of which would secure greater protections for children and young people online. 

UNICEF Australia strongly supports the key recommendations of the review and encourages the government to act with immediacy, specifically, on: 

  • Recommendation 4: That Australia adopt a singular and overarching duty of care that encompasses due diligence, and is underpinned by safety by design principles, risk assessment, risk mitigation and measurement 
  • Recommendation 8: That the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration for online service providers in assessing and mitigating the risks arising from the design and operation of their services, including risks to children who may use the service and risks to children as a result of how the service may be used. 

UNICEF Australia has been advocating for these reforms along with requirements for platforms to assess all their systems and elements for serious risks they may pose to children, and to take reasonable steps to mitigate these. We believe these reforms would greatly minimise risks and harms to children’s safety and wellbeing online, while upholding their rights to access and participation, so they can thrive in an increasingly digital world.  

Bringing these commitments into fruition and implementing the recommendations of the Online Safety Act Review now requires a concerted effort by all to demonstrate Australia’s continuing commitment to setting higher standards for online safety and robust protections for children and young people. 

UNICEF Australia emphasises the importance of genuine and meaningful consultation with children and young people across all concurrent active reforms in digital policy in Australia, to ensure legislation is as effective as possible. 

5 February 2025