Doxxing inquiry
"No Australian should be targeted because of who they are or what they believe," says Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
Jewish communal organisations felt encouraged by the Albanese government’s launch last week of plans for public consultations on outlawing “doxxing”, the exposure of private online communications, and will make submissions to the review.
The probe was foreshadowed last month after private content from a WhatsApp group of Jewish Australian creatives and academics was made public, with hundreds having their names, photos and social media accounts published by pro-Palestinian activists. Separately, texts from Lawyers for Israel discussing ABC presenter Antoinette Lattouf were published by Nine newspapers, and other personal data was posted, triggering abuse and threats.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told The AJN on Tuesday, “No Australian should be targeted because of who they are or what they believe. We want to hear from people with lived experience of doxxing, media organisations, and anyone interested in this, to ensure we get this right.”
Dreyfus said the consultation process will be complemented by a roundtable discussion with stakeholders, including individuals with lived experience and with media organisations. At the same time, the government is advancing reforms to strengthen laws against hate speech.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim urged Jewish doxxing victims to have their say. “The more the government hears from them about their personal experiences of the impacts of doxxing on their employment, on their businesses, and on their personal safety and the safety of their families, the more likely it is that the government will produce legislation that is genuinely effective.”
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said, “When a group of activists doxxed hundreds of Jewish Australians in February, lives were turned upside down. Anti-doxxing legislation will be of immense relief to those who were directly impacted.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said, “Recent events have made it more than clear that new legislation on doxxing is necessary.”
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