Submission to the Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act 2021
The Human Rights Law Centre has urged the Albanese Government to implement strong laws which protect people from the insidious harm caused by big tech platforms such as Meta, X, and Google.
In a submission to Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act 2021, the Human Rights Law Centre proposed the need for a risk-based regulatory approach based on the following principles:
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Duty of Care: Establishing a legislated duty of care that places strict obligations on digital platforms to ensure the safety of their users.
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Risk Assessment: Mandating platforms to conduct thorough assessments of their systems and products to identify risks to their users and to our democratic processes.
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Risk Mitigation: Requiring platforms to implement effective measures to mitigate identified risks.
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Transparency Measures: Mandating independently audited risk assessments that are publicly available, along with requiring big tech platforms give vetted researchers access to public-interest data.
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Accountability Measures: Prioritising systemic changes over content removal and imposing significant penalties for non-compliance.
The Human Rights Law Centre is concerned that the current Act does not adequately address emerging online safety challenges and fails to incorporate robust measures for tackling misinformation and disinformation. It is essential that the Act is updated to reflect best practices and address new threats.
Submission to 2025-26 Federal Budget consultation
The Human Rights Law Centre has put forward recommendations to the 2025-26 federal budget submissions across a range of issues, including campaigning for an Australian Human Rights Act, migration justice, prisoners’ rights, whistleblower protection and modern slavery.
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Submission to Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021 review
The Human Rights Law Centre is calling for stronger safeguards for the right to privacy and warned that these powers enable the AFP and ACIC to undertake significant invasions of privacy, encroach on the right to privacy, and threaten to have a chilling effect on the work of journalists and their sources.
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Submission to Inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities
In a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into antisemitism on Australian university campuses, the Human Rights Law Centre has called for reforms that uphold Australia's commitment to international human rights standards, fostering a society that respects equality, freedom, and justice for all.
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Human Rights Law Centre acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia, including the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Darug and Wadawurrung people where we work from.
We pay our respect to Elders past and present. This land always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
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