eSafety makes pitch for more "technical regulation powers"

Australia’s eSafety commissioner has made a pitch for extra “technical regulation powers” that it could use against certain online app makers, and platforms that turn a blind eye to obviously fake accounts.

Appearing before a senate hearing on proposed law changes to criminalise sexual deepfakes, commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that powers that would potentially allow eSafety to “de-platform” certain types of online apps would be “welcome”.

In her immediate sights are so-called “de-clothing” or “nudification” apps that she said were being used “to create synthetic child sexual abuse material”; as well as “tracking and monitoring apps” which were used as tools of coercive control over partners.

“If the primary purpose is to create … harm, and we were able to use some of our technical regulation powers, I would welcome that kind of power,” Inman Grant said. 

“We don’t have a power like that today.”

Inman Grant said that industry codes, both in place and under negotiation, were focused on children, and that there was a gap in coverage of powers when it came to the same apps being used against adults.

“There is a definite gap there, and now is the time to be thinking about the kinds of powers that we might need to make us more effective at a systemic level,” Inman Grant said.

Another power on Inman Grant’s wish list is for account removal, targeting “repeat offenders” on big tech platforms.

“One of the biggest problems we see that companies are failing to tackle is the mass creation of fake and imposter accounts which are largely used for any kind of social engineering scam, but particularly we’re seeing it in the context of sexual extortion, and potentially deepfakes,” she said.

“We’ve sent intelligence reports to some of the platforms saying we’re seeing about 10,000 of the same images used in all these fake accounts and here are some scripts [they use to engage potential victims]. 

“They’re just not doing [anything about] it. They’re allowing these predators and criminal organisations to literally colonise their platforms and target people on the platforms. 

“So, there are a range of things that we need to do, and there are a range of tools I think we need. 

“It will ultimately be a question for the government and parliament which tools they want to grant us.”

The pitch for extra powers was, in part, made as part of a statutory review into the Online Safety Act, which is due to report by the end of October.