Text of bill | Explanatory memoranda | Second reading speeches | Proposed amendments | Schedules of amendments | Bills Digest

Bills of previous Parliaments

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of bills homepages, the authoritative sources for verifying the progress of bills are the House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings and the Journals of the Senate.

Online Safety Bill 2021


Type
Government
Originating house
House of Representatives
Status
Act
Portfolio
Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts

Summary

Introduced with the Online Safety (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021, the bill: retains and replicates certain provisions in the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015, including the non-consensual sharing of intimate images scheme; specifies basic online safety expectations; establishes an online content scheme for the removal of certain material; creates a complaints-based removal notice scheme for cyber-abuse being perpetrated against an Australian adult; broadens the cyber-bullying scheme to capture harms occurring on services other than social media; reduces the timeframe for service providers to respond to a removal notice from the eSafety Commissioner; brings providers of app distribution services and internet search engine services into the remit of the new online content scheme; and establishes a power for the eSafety Commissioner to request or require internet service providers to disable access to material depicting, promoting, inciting or instructing in abhorrent violent conduct for time-limited periods in crisis situations.

Progress of bill

For committee reference information, please see the Notes section at the end of this page.

House of Representatives
Introduced and read a first time 24/02/21  
Second reading moved 24/02/21  
Second reading debate 16/03/21  
Second reading agreed to 16/03/21  
Third reading agreed to 16/03/21  
     
Senate
Introduced and read a first time 17/03/21  
Second reading moved 17/03/21  
Second reading debate 16/06/21  
Second reading debate 17/06/21  
Second reading agreed to 22/06/21  
Third reading agreed to 22/06/21 Amendment details: 11 Government (1 as amended by 3 Opposition) and 7 Opposition agreed to
     
House of Representatives
Consideration of Senate message 23/06/21 Details: House agreed to Senate amendments
     
Finally passed both Houses 23/06/21  
Assent 23/07/21 Act no: 76 - Year: 2021
     

Text of bill

  • First reading

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • As passed by both Houses

MS-Word PDF HTML

Explanatory memoranda

  • Explanatory memorandum

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Supplementary explanatory memorandum

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Addendum to explanatory memorandum

MS-Word PDF HTML

Second reading speeches


Proposed amendments

Senate
  • Australian Greens [sheet 1299]
MCKIM, Sen Nick

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Australian Greens [sheet 1276]
MCKIM, Sen Nick

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Australian Greens [sheet 1275]
MCKIM, Sen Nick

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Australian Greens [sheet 1235]
MCKIM, Sen Nick

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Government [sheet SW125]

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1319]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1317]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1316]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1315]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1304]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1312]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1305]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML
  • Opposition [sheet 1303]
PRATT, Sen Louise

MS-Word PDF HTML

Schedules of amendments

  • Schedule of the amendments made by the Senate

MS-Word PDF HTML

Bills Digest



Notes
  • Referred to Committee (25/02/2021): Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Committee report (12/03/2021)
  • Considered by scrutiny committee (17/03/2021): Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report 5 of 2021
  • Considered by scrutiny committee (17/03/2021): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 7 of 2021
  • An electronic version of this Act is available on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au)