A new online reporting tool — which will allow victims to report cases of non-consensual sharing of intimate images (commonly referred to as “revenge porn”) as well as access “immediate and tangible” support — in under development by the Federal Government.
The announcement forms part of a suite of measures in the Coalition Government’s Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022, which is backed by $100 million in Australian Government funding.
Funding totalling $4.8 million will go towards the development of a national online reporting tool to help counter the effects of “non-consensual sharing of intimate images”.
“Unfortunately, non-consensual sharing of intimate images has become increasingly common due to the proliferation of smartphones and social media,” a joint statement Minister for Communications Mitch Fifeld and Minister for Women Michaela Cash reads, pointing out that victims are typically young people.
The online reporting tool will be managed by the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, which the ministers said has already established a successful online portal to assist victims of cyberbullying. The new reporting tool is expected to be launched next year.
The Commissioner also manages the existing eSafetyWomen website, established with a $2.1 million funding commitment from the Turnbull Government’s Women’s Safety Package announced in September 2015. eSafetyWomen offers a range of resources to help women manage technology risks and abuse by giving them the tools they need to be confident when online.