Social Networking Sites and Government to Co-operate on Complaint Handling

In a joint media release (16 January 2013 Sydney), the Prime Minister and the Acting Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announced that Social Networking Sites and the Government have agreed under new guidelines to continue promoting user safety as well as undertaking education and awareness raising with respect to antisocial behaviour online.

The Cooperative Arrangement for Complaints Handling on Social Networking Sites commits companies, such as Facebook, Google (YouTube), Yahoo! and Microsoft, to:

• Set out clear information about its acceptable use guidelines;

• Undertake education and awareness raising activities about what behaviour is acceptable and not acceptable online;

• Have a single point of contact for Government; and

• Have robust processes in place for reviewing and acting on complaints,

The Protocol is said to be another step in the Government’s ongoing work targeting cyber bullying and antisocial behaviour online.

The Government has indicated that it is encouraging other Social Networking Sites to join Facebook, Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft in signing up to the Protocol; as well the Government has commenced discussion with Twitter about signing up.

The Acting Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is quoted as saying “that the protocol is another demonstration of the strength of the Government’s Cyber safety Plan”.

The Protocol was developed in response to recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety’s June 2011 Interim Report, High-Wire Act: Cyber-Safety and the Young. 

The Protocol is available here.

The Protocol also complements the government’s popular Easy Guide to Socialising Online which provides information and advice to families about how to safely navigate many popular social networks.

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