Australia will ban ‘doxxing’ after information about hundreds of Jews is published, questions raised about the rules

The Australian government said on Tuesday it would outlaw ‘doxxing’ after pro-Palestinian activists published the personal details of hundreds of Jewish people in Australia. ‘Doxxing’ refers to the malicious release of personal or identifying information online without the subject’s consent.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfuss said the proposed law would include provisions such as fining social media platforms for such things. The government responded after Nine Entertainment reported that pro-Palestinian activists had published information about the names, images, occupations and social media accounts of Jewish people working in the academic and creative industries.

Dreyfus himself is a Jew. He said the new law would strengthen Australia’s protections against hate speech. “The increasing use of online platforms to harm people through things like doxxing is a disturbing development,” he said.

Monash University cyber security expert Nigel Fair praised the idea of ​​a law against ‘doxxing’, but questioned how it would be enforced.