Australia needs more whistleblowers—and a culture that values and protects them. Whistleblowing shouldn’t just be defended; it should be considered core to holding the tech industry accountable.
John Pane, Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia, recently collaborated with ReSet Tech Australia, a research organisation focused on digital risks and online harm, and Human Law Rights Centre, to develop a whistleblowing report.
In a closed-door discussion on public accountability and tech whistleblowing, John joined a group of experts specializing in public interest journalism, digital platform accountability, whistleblower protection, human rights, digital rights, and the tech sector.
Famous whistleblowers are household names around the world. However, in Australia, our homegrown whistleblowers, and their media alliances are too spooked by anti-transparency or anti-accountability legislation.
The discussion, which provides insight into early policy thinking, centered on three themes:
- What are the current mechanisms for digital protected disclosures in Australia?
- How are tech whistleblower disclosures reaching journalists?
- How are courts using whistleblower evidence in litigation?
You can read the full report here or below.
Image credit: Adobe Stock