ADVOCACY, POLICY & NEWS
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Open Letter from Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc to the ACCC
This open letter was written by Gillian Dempsey, a barrister and board member of the Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA). Currently the e-Safety Commissioner has attempted to only protect minors from predatory algorithms from particular scheduled Social Media applications pursuant to the Online Safety Rules 2025. These rules only apply to…
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Regulate the system, not the child
This post was written by EFA Vice Chair Julian Watchorn. The lessons emerging from AI governance debates are directly relevant to online safety, where reliance on voluntary compliance and identity-based controls threatens privacy and rights while leaving harmful platform design largely unregulated. Much of the current debate about children’s online…
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Digital Fairness, AI Self-Regulation and the Limits of Voluntary Safety Framework
This post was written by EFA Vice Chair Julian Watchorn and EFA board member Kirsten Frederiksen. 1. The Limits of Corporate Self-Regulation A longstanding axiom in public policy is that corporate self-regulation is ineffective whenvast sums of money are at stake. This has been demonstrated repeatedly across sectors such as…
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Results of 2025 EFA Annual General Meeting
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) held its Annual General Meeting on 29 November 2025, with 16 candidates vying for 7 board positions. We used Opavote to manage the election process and, after the processing of preferences, we welcome the re-appointment of our existing board members and the appointment of 5 new…
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5 Pieces of Advice for Teens Impacted by the Social Media Ban
1. Acknowledge and Validate Your Feelings 2. Prioritise and Maintain Your Key Connections 3. Preserve Your Memories and Content 4. Explore Alternative, Age-Appropriate Spaces 5. Remember: This is a Pause, Not a Permanent End If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need to talk to someone right now, please reach out to:…
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EFA Condemns Government’s “Opportunity-First” AI Plan: Our Safety Sacrificed as Ex Ante Laws Are Bumped
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) condemned the Australian Government’s decision to abandon standalone, ex ante (proactive) AI legislation, warning the imminent National AI Plan prioritises “opportunity-first” adoption at the expense of citizen safety, fundamental digital rights and basic legal safeguards. “The early signals are clear,” said EFA Chair John Pane. “Many…
