Australia proposes hefty fines for privacy breaches

The country is specifically targetting social media platforms - the boogeyman du jour

The Australian government has released a draft copy of a bill it hopes will help to boost online privacy protection, through an expansion of the country's Privacy Act.

'The goal of the Bill is to enhance privacy protections, particularly in the online sphere, without unduly impeding innovation within the digital economy,' the government wrote in the Bill's explanatory paper [pdf].

If it becomes law, the Online Privacy Bill would require social media platforms to verify users' ages, obtain parental consent for users under the age of 16, and cease disclosing personal information when requested by the users.

Platforms that fail to comply with these rules would face fines of up to AU$10 million (£5.4 million), or 10 per cent of annual revenue: an increase from the current maximum penalty of AU$2.2 million (£1.2 million).

Platforms in breach of the rules would also face a penalty if they fail to provide information or documents sought in relation to investigations about breaches to user privacy.

'The OP code will have stricter requirements for how social media platforms handle children's personal information,' the government said.

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash noted that more steps need to be taken to protect children against harmful tracking, profiling, or targeted marketing on online platforms.

"Australians are wary about what personal information they give over to large tech companies," she said.

"We are ensuring [Australians'] data and privacy will be protected and handled with care. Our draft legislation means that these companies will be punished heavily if they don't meet that standard."

The federal government ' s move to tighten controls over digital platforms comes amid concerns that children are being exposed to extreme content online.

David Coleman, Australia's assistant minister for mental health, cited a "recent leak of Facebook ' s own internal research" to argue that social media was "part of the problem" of distress and mental health among young people.

"That ' s why this legislation is so important. It will provide families with powerful protections, and require fundamental changes to the way that social media platforms operate in Australia.

"If a social media algorithm is currently detecting that for instance a child is concerned about weight issues and consequently sending them in the direction of dangerous content ... such as body image, extreme dieting eating disorders, that will be against the law."

Earlier this month, Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen alleged that Facebook was deliberately failing to protect underage users and directing them towards harmful content.

Haugen left the company in May, and since then has provided thousands of internal Facebook documents to lawmakers and regulators.

Earlier this month she testified before a Senate subcommittee in a hearing about the company's research into the impact of Instagram on teenagers' mental health.

Last week, she warned Australian MPs not to trust Facebook's promises that it was working to make its platform safer, and instead said they should force the firm to disclose internal data about how it keeps users engaged.

She said Facebook should be forced to regularly publish data about popular content to allow researchers to track the spread of misinformation or extremist material.

"Right now the only people who can detect those patterns are people inside of Facebook, and I guarantee you Australia is not a top priority," Haugen said.

"There's just not enough people that live in Australia."

In September, Facebook shelved plans for a special version of Instagram aimed at children aged 10 to 12. The move came after a Wall Street Journal article accused the company of ignoring and covering up evidence of the harm Instagram can have on teenagers, particularly girls.