Victoria moves to unmask online trolls, ease lawsuits against tech firms

Victoria is set to introduce new legislation aimed at curbing online abuse by forcing social media companies to unmask anonymous trolls. Premier Jacinta Allan announced the government's intention to push for laws that would compel tech giants to reveal the identities of users found breaching the state's anti-vilification laws.

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[Parents] do feel powerless, and powerless on a couple of fronts. How quickly kids become obsessed with these online platforms … I see it in my own household.

"Too often, words can be used as a weapon to spew out far too much online hate," Ms Allan stated. "Far too much of that is being hidden by anonymous online anonymity." The proposed laws would grant the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) the power to issue "de-masking orders," compelling social media companies to disclose user identities. This measure is intended to open trolls to the threat of civil lawsuits.

In addition to targeting online abuse, the new laws will also aim to simplify the process for parents seeking legal recourse against tech companies for psychiatric harm inflicted upon their children. Ms Allan noted that parents often feel powerless against the rapid pace at which children become engrossed in online platforms. The government plans to lower the legal threshold for such claims, potentially removing it entirely for adult victims.

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Too often, words can be used as a weapon to spew out far too much online hate. Far too much of that is being hidden by anonymous online anonymity.

Currently, parents must prove their child has suffered a permanent impairment of at least 10 percent to sue a social media or AI company. The Allan government aims to introduce these laws to parliament before the state election in November. Similar legislation proposed by the federal Morrison government in 2021 did not pass, facing criticism from legal experts for potentially offering little practical benefit to ordinary users lacking the resources for major legal battles.

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Right now you can't bring a case against a person who is anonymous, we're changing that by requiring tech giants to reveal the identity.