Australia wants to know how US tech giants are tackling child abuse content

CANBERRA • Australia has demanded that American technology giants including Apple, Meta and Microsoft provide details on how they are cracking down on child abuse material.

The government's eSafety Commissioner yesterday issued legal notices to a group of tech companies that operate online platforms in Australia.

It is the first such requests under legislation introduced last year, according to a statement.

The companies have 28 days to report back on what they are doing to prevent the spread of child exploitation images.

Any delay could lead to fines of up to US$383,000 (S$532,400) a day.

"We've received these notices and are currently reviewing them," a spokesman for Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, said in an e-mailed statement.

"The safety of our users is a top priority and we continue to proactively engage with the eSafety Commissioner on these important issues."

A spokesman for Microsoft said the company would respond to the notice. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The responses would help inform government decisions about "what needs to be done to protect Australians online", Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said in the statement.

She urged the industry to comply with the commissioner's requests.

Australia's Online Safety Bill was passed in June last year and placed the onus on Internet service companies, rather than government officials, to curb toxic behaviour on their online platforms.

The Act also increased the penalty for online abuse and harassment to up to five years in prison.

The new legislation is just the latest in a series of clashes between Australia and US tech giants.

BLOOMBERG