Cyber-safety plan
The internet is an essential tool for all Australians, including children. It is an integral part of our economic and social activities, and a vast resource of information, education and entertainment.
The ability to use online tools effectively provides both a skill for life and the means to acquire new skills.
While the internet has created substantial benefits for children, it has also exposed them to a number of dangers, including exposure to illegal and prohibited content.
Parents rightly expect the Australian Government to play its part in helping protect children online.
Cyber-safety commitment
In May 2008 the Government committed $125.8 million over four years to a comprehensive cyber-safety plan to combat online risks and help parents and educators protect children from inappropriate material. Measures include increased funding towards cyber-safety education and awareness raising activities, content filtering and law enforcement.
The Government’s commitment to cyber-safety includes:
- expanding the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Child Protection Operations Team to detect and investigate online child sex exploitation
- funding to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to manage increased activity resulting from the AFP work to ensure that prosecutions are handled quickly
- funding to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to:
- implement a comprehensive range of education activities including improving current government cyber-safety website resources, make them easier for parents to use, and to provide up-to-date information,
- implement an online helpline to provide a quick and easy way for children to report online incidents that cause them concern.
- developing and implementing ISP filtering, which included undertaking a real world live pilot
- expanding the Consultative Working Group that considers the broad range of cyber-safety issues and advises Government; to ensure properly developed and targeted policy initiatives
- forming a Youth Advisory Group to provide advice to the Consultative Working Group on cyber-safety issues from a young person’s perspective
- ongoing research into the changing digital environment to identify issues and target future policy and funding.
