We have terrible news to share with you about the sudden death of our Vice President, Peter Tonoli.
We express our sincere condolences to his family and friends and express our thanks for the significant contributions which Peter made over many decades to the shaping of the internet and digital rights in Australia.
There are people in life who have your back, even if you don’t realise it. Those people are true friends, true community builders, true change makers. Peter Tonoli was one of those people,for me, for the digital rights community, and for a better society. Peter was a deeply generous man who never failed to assist in supporting those starting on their journey to protect digital rights in Australia.
Peter Tonoli was Vice Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australian Inc since November 2018 and a Board Member since 2017, and he’d been a member for almost 20 years.
I, and the entire EFA Board, express their sincere gratitude to Peter for all he has contributed to Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc and his untiring support of EFA and digital rights in Australia.
Aside from his role as Vice Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia, Peter was also the IT Leader at Blueprint for Free Speech, Director at Internet Australia, Chair of the General Advisory Standing Committee at auDA, Technical Committee Member of the Australian Privacy Foundation.
Peter had been involved in protecting digital rights in Australia since the foundation of the internet in early 1990’s. He was involved in the first community ISP in Australia. He was unwavering in his support of community groups, and never failed to take responsibility for those groups he was involved and encouraged new members to find their place and EFA would not be what it is today without his contribution.
Some issues which Peter has recently been concerned about include student privacy and presented to journalists about how to protect whistleblowers. Peter recently represented Internet Australia in relation to opposition to the then Assistance and Access Bill. He also worked on a website which allowed people who were in out of home care to access a library of information.
As we at EFA and in the digital rights community miss Peter, the one act we can do is to honour his legacy and contribution and keep showing up, keep doing the work, and keep holding these organisations of importance together.
Peter’s funeral will be at 10am, 24 March 2020 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Hawthorn, Victoria.
We are humbled that, in lieu of flowers, the family are asking for people to donate to EFA. In his passing we will honour this request from his family. Peter wanted the foundation of digital rights in Australia to stay solid, for people to keep doing the work, and for all of us to move forward in solidarity as a community.
Donations can be made through our website. You can also add your tribute to Peter.
Thank you Peter for everything, we will continue the work you were passionate about, because this stuff matters, and we will keep showing up, because that’s how the world gets changed for the better. Vale.
Lyndsey Jackson and the entire EFA Board