The Australian government on Tuesday, February 13, announced its intention to ban doxxing, the unauthorized online disclosure of personal information.
This is in response to pro-Palestinian activists leaking personal details of hundreds of Jewish individuals in Australia.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus outlined plans for an upcoming legislation, which would include provisions for issuing take-down notices to social media platforms.
The legislation also intends to impose fines as a deterrent against this form of intimidation.
The decision came following reports by Nine Entertainment news revealing that pro-Palestinian activists had exposed the names, photos, occupations, and social media profiles of Jewish individuals employed in academia and the creative sectors.
Last week, Nine newspapers reported that pro-Palestinian activists shared an extensive nearly-900 page transcript, leaked from a private WhatsApp group established last year by Jewish writers, artists, musicians, and academics.
The accompanying spreadsheet contained personal details of nearly 600 individuals, believed to be members of the group.
Clementine Ford, an author and one of the activists sharing links to the leaked information, argued against categorizing it as doxxing.
In an Instagram post, Ford stated, “This chat demonstrated extremely organised moves to punish Palestinian activists and their allies.”
Dreyfus mentioned that the new laws would enhance Australia’s safeguards against hate speech, although he offered limited information regarding their operational mechanisms.
Increasing Incidences Of Doxxing In Australia
Dreyfus, a Jewish, said, “The increasing use of online platforms to harm people through practices like doxxing, the malicious release of their personal information without their permission, is a deeply disturbing development.”
“The recent targeting of members of the Australian Jewish community through those practices like doxxing was shocking but, sadly, this is far from being an isolated incident,” Dreyfus added.
There has been a rise in reports of antisemitism in Australia since Israel’s conflict with Hamas began in October last year.
The Australian government’s online safety watchdog defines doxxing, also known as “dropping dox” or documents, as the intentional online exposure of an individual’s identity, private information, or personal details without their consent.
When asked what his definition was, Dreyfus said doxxing was the “malicious release, publicly, of personal information of people without their consent.”
“We live in a vibrant multicultural community which we should strive to protect,” Dreyfus said.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), representing the country’s Jewish community, welcomed the government’s initiative to outlaw doxxing.
Daniel Aghion, president of the council, expressed anticipation in collaborating with the government to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the harm caused by doxxing.
He also emphasized why the proposed laws should effectively safeguard Australians from this reprehensible and dangerous practice.
Nigel Phair, a cybersecurity expert at Monash University, commended the concept of legislation against doxxing but said, “It’s really difficult for policing agencies to police such laws when, really, they just don’t get the access to the data.
Really, it’s the social media companies who bear the responsibility”
“Our law enforcement agencies, dare I say, are already swamped with online investigations with the amount of crime that we have online. Adding this to it without any additional resources and the really integrated work with the social media platforms — it just won’t do much,” Phair added.
In Australia, approximately 52% of doxxing incidents originate from online posts. These incidents often involve the exposure of personal addresses, affecting 90% of victims.
Surprisingly, the age group most affected by doxxing is 18 to 29 years old, accounting for more than one in four victims.
Additionally, about 4.3% of doxxing cases reveal credit card numbers, posing significant risks to victims’ financial security. The consequences of doxxing can be severe, leading to emotional distress, discrimination, and even physical harm.
It’s crucial to raise awareness and take measures to protect personal information in our digital age.
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