Doxxing ban now law
The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill introduces criminal penalties of up to seven years imprisonment
Legislation to outlaw doxxing passed the federal parliament this morning.
The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill introduces criminal penalties of up to seven years imprisonment for those found to have committed the offence.
The doxxing laws are part of a suite of measures in the Bill dealing with personal data and privacy.
“The legislation passed today is just the first stage of the Albanese Government’s commitment to provide individuals with greater control over their personal information,” Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.
The passing of the new laws followed the doxxing of a members of a WhatsApp group of 600 Jewish creatives in February, which led to links to members’ social media accounts and photos being posted online, while some received death threats.
Following the incident, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) led a push for doxxing to be outlawed.
“It is gratifying that a law which the ECAJ called for in February to proscribe the pernicious practice of doxxing has now been passed by the Federal parliament,” ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim said.
“The doxxing of 600 Jewish creatives at the beginning of the year caused enormous damage to the lives of several victims and a strong message needed to be sent that this kind of malicious behaviour has no place in Australia.
“We commend the government for heeding our call … The legislation will protect all Australians from this form of online abuse, and ensure that the hate-motivated situation we witnessed earlier this year will never be repeated.”
The Zionist Federation of Australia also welcomed the passage of the legislation.
“The doxxing of over 600 Jews was one of the worst examples of antisemitism and vilification in our country in recent times,” president Jeremy Leibler said.
“It led to death threats, threats against children, boycotts of businesses, and severe online harassment. Hopefully these laws will not only prevent this happening to the Jewish community, but to all Australians as well.
“Law reform is critical, but we must ensure there is continued leadership when it comes to stamping out hatred and antisemitism in Australia.”
The Coalition voted against the Bill. The AJN understands that while the Coalition supported cracking down on doxxing, the Bill combined that part of the legislation with other provisions with which it had concerns.
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