Victoria’s Premier will introduce new laws to force social media companies to identify Aussies accused of so-called online vilification.
Jacinta Allan said on Sunday her Labor state government will give the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal new powers to make “demasking orders” for anonymous accounts it believes are inciting hatred on the grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation.
She said the laws would “give victims of online hate a way to find out who is targeting them” and “hold social media companies to account for online hate”.
The legislation will also lower the bar for negligence claims made against social media and AI companies for causing psychiatric harm to minors, which at present requires proof of a permanent impairment of 10% or more.
The new laws will remove that threshold, and Ms Allan said extending the reforms to adults would also be considered while the legislation is being drafted.
“We’re introducing nation-leading laws to keep AI and tech companies accountable, protect our kids and unmask anonymous online hate,” Ms Allan said in a social media post.
We’re introducing nation-leading laws to keep AI and tech companies accountable, protect our kids & unmask anonymous online hate.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) July 18, 2026
The announcement sparked anger on X, where many Aussies called the proposed laws a danger to freedom of speech.
“We will be opposing so-called eSafety, Victoria,” the Free Speech Union of Australia said in response.
“Here it comes. Dissent from Modern Australia will be silenced,” said another.
“How is this about protecting kids when kids are banned from social media? It’s almost like they are lying,” asked a third.
Others brought up the estimated $15-30 billion cost to the Victorian taxpayer of corruption by Labor-linked union the CFMEU, and said the best way to “protect kids” would be to strengthen bail laws to get African and other ethnic gangs off the streets.
“When do we get a law to jail Premiers who won’t go looking for $15 billion stolen from the taxpayer?” asked one.
Ms Allan has already brought in a raft of new “hate speech” laws in response to lobbying from the Jewish community, and flagged a crackdown on anonymous social media accounts after the Bondi Islamic terrorist attack.
Header image: Mr Allan with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Melbourne earlier this month (Premier’s Office).
