Australian govt to restrict access to abusive technologies

Canberra, Sep 2 (IANS) The Australian government announced on Tuesday that it will move to restrict access to abusive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools capable of generating sexually explicit images.

Anika Wells, the minister for communications, said on Tuesday that the government will work closely with the technology industry to restrict access to undetectable online stalking tools and AI apps that can generate sexually explicit deepfake content, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"There is a place for AI and legitimate tracking technology in Australia, but there is no place for apps and technologies that are used solely to abuse, humiliate and harm people, especially our children," Wells said in a statement.

"This is too important for us not to act. Abusive technologies are widely and easily accessible and are causing real and irreparable damage now."

She said that the crackdown would complement existing laws that prohibit stalking and the non-consensual distribution of sexually explicit materials.

Like Australia's ban on children younger than 16 accessing social media platforms, which will come into effect in December, the new laws will place the onus on restricting access to the abusive tools on technology companies.

The federal government's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said in June that there had been twice as many reported incidents of digitally altered intimate images of under-18s in the past 18 months than in the preceding seven years combined.

Earlier in July, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will include YouTube in its world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 after initially granting the platform an exemption.

Albanese and Anika Wells, the minister for communications, said at a press conference in Canberra that the federal government has accepted a recommendation from its online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, to include YouTube in the social media ban.

YouTube was initially granted an exemption from the ban, which will come into effect from December 10, due to its education and health content, but eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in formal advice to the government in June that the platform exposes children to harmful content.

Albanese said that the government is prepared to "take action" against social media platforms that cause social harm. "We know this is not the only solution and there's more to do. But it will make a difference," he said.

Wells said that the decision to include YouTube in the ban was about "prioritizing parents ahead of platforms."

--IANS

akl/rs