<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pressure is mounting on the federal government to implement its promised Digital Duty of Care legislation, which would force </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/technology" rel="" target="" title="tech"><span>tech</span></a><span> companies to ensure their </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/social-media" rel="" target="" title="platforms"><span>platforms</span></a><span> do not cause harm to Australian users.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Child safety advocates and online safety experts met with MPs, the eSafety Commissioner and the Human Rights Commissioner at Parliament House today about the need for the policy to confront the rise of livestreamed child sexual abuse across Australia and the Asia Pacific.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this month, the Brisbane Supreme Court heard how an Australian man paid to direct and watch live online the horrific sexual abuse of 25 children in the Phillipines, aged between three and 15 years old.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LATEST:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-shot-reports-emerge-fugitive-killed-by-armed-police/77941806-6f56-4584-a39f-f5c57263a337" target="_blank"><strong><span>Accused cop killer Dezi Freeman shot dead by specialist police</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>David Braga, the CEO of anti-slavery organisation International Justice Mission Australia, said the Digital Duty of Care should mandate that the tech giants "proactively detect, disrupt and prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse on their products and services".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Livestreamed child sexual abuse is one of the fastest growing and least detected forms of child abuse globally," Braga said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is strong evidence that Australian men are driving the global demand, as one of the top three consumers in the world of child abuse material from the Philippines.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/advocates-call-for-digital-duty-of-care-legislation-livestreamed-child-sexual-abuse-crime-australia-news/1a1643a6-65c9-4c6e-bbac-4d685cb5253e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A </span><a href="https://ijm.org.au/studies/paradigm-shift" rel="" target="" title="report by IJM and global child safety institute Childlight"><span>report by IJM and global child safety institute Childlight</span></a><span> found 1 in 15 Australian men surveyed either webcammed sexually with a child or had a desire to do so.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Most tech companies are not preventing offenders from using everyday apps like Facebook Messenger, FaceTime and WhatsApp to access and direct the live sexual abuse of children in their video call services.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Australian Government has made significant progress in advancing online safety reforms, such as the recent age verification changes for social media platforms.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They can continue to lead the world by now protecting children from livestreamed sexual abuse."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-30-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/e9266dcd-3f4a-470e-8c77-03535b5205a3" rel="" target="" title="Fuel excise to be halved for three months"><strong><span>Fuel excise to be halved for three months</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government announced it would implement 'Digital Duty of Care' legislation as part of its overhaul of the Online Safety Act in late 2024, after a review of the act by former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Delia Rickard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was to complement the government's </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-ban-australia-teens-say-it-wont-work-exclusive/db530bef-0bca-4e15-bce2-09e707ce8ec2" rel="" target="" title="social media ban"><span>social media ban</span></a><span>, which was legislated in December last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young also raised the legislation in Question Time earlier this week, citing a landmark court decision in the US that found </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/meta-and-youtube-liable-and-negligent-for-child-harm-3-million-award/cd4c0304-d543-4e44-b7fe-1935ba8cc6aa" rel="" target="" title="Meta and Google guilty of intentionally building addictive platforms"><span>Meta and Google guilty of intentionally building addictive platforms</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Communications minister Anika Wells said in February that she intended to have the legislation put to parliament this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's one of those things where we'd like to bring it in as quickly as possible because clearly there is harm online, and we would like to stop that as quickly as possible," Wells said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But also, this is a really big reform. It's another world-leading reform. We have to make sure that we do it right."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>