Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has levied a high-profile fine of $610,500 against social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, for its inadequacies in addressing child sexual abuse and failing to cooperate with an investigation into anti-child abuse measures. The infringement notice was issued today, shining a spotlight on the ongoing global issue of child exploitation on social platforms. A direct announcement from the eSafety authority has specified that X disregarded numerous key queries, including the length of response time to abuse reports and measures in place to recognize child sexual abuse material.
The seriousness of X’s non-compliance did not go unnoticed by the eSafety Commissioner. The details of the failure to cooperate included a complete lack of response to some questions, leaving sections of the inquiry blank, and in other instances providing incomplete or inaccurate responses. Notably, X apparently does not possess the technology to detect grooming. It was observed that during X’s ownership transition that occurred in October 2022, the proactive detection rate for child sexual abuse material dropped significantly from 90% to 75%, though there have been more recent improvements.
The alarming rationale behind the fine was made clear by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in her official announcement. She reiterated that without meaningful transparency from the online industry, it is virtually impossible to impose any accountability for combating these disturbing practices. The infringement notices issued are aimed at demanding this essential degree of transparency.
Previously in February, X, among several other social media outfits, were issued non-periodic transparency notices under section 56(2) of the Online Safety Act. These notices were focused on child sexual exploitation and abuse. In June, another transparency notice was issued by the eSafety Commissioner requiring X to detail measures taken to minimize online hate, which included their enforcement of terms of use and hateful conduct policy. This notice was in response to an upward trend in complaints related to hate speech on the platform.
This recent step by the Australian regulator signals the necessity for companies to shoulder their responsibilities to protect children from online exploitation. Looking ahead to the next year, Commissioner Grant stated that industry codes and standards are expected to be established, which will supplement these Basic Online Safety Expectations with the intention of ensuring companies live up to these obligations.
X now has 28 days to comply with the Commissioner’s infringement notice, marking a crucial period for the social media platform and a significant moment in international regulation of the tech industry.
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