The Weekly Cybers #69
ASIO and AFP are back with home affairs, the OAIC’s inquiry into children’s online privacy actually asks children, and much more.
The Weekly Cybers #69 | 23 May 2025
Welcome
Wonder of wonders, a government inquiry into children’s online activities is actually asking the children! Five points to the OAIC for including the kids in their review of online privacy policy.
We also note a shift of responsibility for federal cops and spooks back to the home affairs minister, a call for better protections from AI for kids, and more.
With parliament on its winter break until the second half of July, digital policy action is likely to be thin on the ground in Australia. So if there’s spare capacity, what sorts of things would you like this humble newsletter to focus on? Just reply to this email.
ASIO and AFP moved back to Home Affairs
As part of prime minister Anthony Albanese’s machinery of government changes announced last week, responsibility for law enforcement policy and operations has been moved from the Attorney‑General’s portfolio to the Home Affairs portfolio.
That means the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) will now be overseen by the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, rather than the Attorney-General.
According to commentary from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), this is “the right move to address intensifying threats”.
“ASPI analysts have consistently argued that we cannot arrest our way to social cohesion, nor spy our way to reduced radicalisation. The spread of extremist ideology online, the erosion of public trust in democratic institutions and the exploitation of social and economic vulnerabilities all point to a need for a security architecture that is integrated not only across operational agencies but across policy departments and sectors,” they write.
“Education, online regulation, community services, migration policy, economic development and democratic integrity are now inextricably linked to national security outcomes.”
The change is detailed in the formal Administrative Arrangements Order (PDF).
Your writer does wonder whether blurring the boundaries between “law enforcement” and “national security” is ever a good thing, but it does seem to be the path that the world has taken in recent decades.
Children’s privacy inquiry actually asks children
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is actually asking children and young people for their views on online privacy as they develop a Children’s Online Privacy Code.
“We want to first hear directly from those most affected by the code – children and young people — so it accurately reflects what they need and want,” said Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind.
To that end, the OAIC has released a worksheet for children in years 3 to 6 (aged 8–12); a worksheet for children and young people in years 7 to 12 (aged 12–18); a discussion paper for parents and carers; and for teachers, a lesson plan and accompanying presentation.
Feedback and more formal submissions close 30 June.
AI experts push for tougher child safeguards
Meanwhile, the SaferAI for Children Coalition has called for urgent action against the “growing risks of AI-facilitated child sexual exploitation”.
“AI is being weaponised to harm children, and Australia must act swiftly to prevent these technologies from outpacing our systems of protection,” said Colm Gannon, CEO of ICMEC Australia, part of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Also in the news
- Australian information commissioner Elizabeth Tydd says that messaging apps could be undermining open and accountable government.
- Meanwhile, OAIC data says the more freedom of information requests are being completely refused. It’s now the highest refusal rate in a decade.
- The Lowy Institute reports that extremists are manipulating AI chatbots.
- “The National Anti-Scam Centre’s Job Scam Fusion Cell removed more than 29,000 scam social media accounts and 1850 fake job advertisements in a crackdown on employment scams targeting vulnerable Australians looking to ease cost of living pressures,” according to the ACCC.
- The eSafety Commissioner has received redrafted industry codes to “protect children from porn and other high-impact content”. The previous drafts “placed the onus for safety largely on parents and carers, requiring them to enable protections for children online which should be on by default [and] there was a concerning absence of age assurance measures”. And now we wait to see whether these new codes get the nod.
- Atlassian’s billionaire CEO and co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes says that regulating artificial intelligence “at such an early stage... seems crazy”, reports InnovationAus ($), because of course he does. “The challenge of regulating a new technology before it arrives is that we stop the upside benefits,” he said. “It’s about just making sure no one gets in our way.”
- Starlink — yes that one — has been formally warned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for failing to file reports on its complaint-handling processes within the required timeframes.
- The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has issued guidance on geoblocking for cybersecurity professionals. “An IP address is not a GPS coordinate,” they remind us. There’s also new guidance on AI data security.
- The ASD has also joined its international partners in warning us about hackers targeting supporters of Ukraine.
- For all you parliamentary process nerds out there, we have an updated Guide to the legislation process, Guide to legislation program variations, and Guide to parliamentary amendments.
Elsewhere
- The New York Times explains: why we’re unlikely to get artificial general intelligence (AGI) anytime soon.
MUSIC PODCAST SECOND PILOT POSTED: My good friend Snarky Platypus and I have posted the second pilot episode of Another Untitled Music Podcast. Yes, it’s about music. Look for it under that title in your podcast app of choice and let us know what you think.
Inquiries of note
It’s a little early for this.
What’s next?
Parliament will return on Tuesday 22 July, according to the proposed program posted on Thursday — but I’m sure we’ll see some policy announcements before then.
DOES SOMETHING IN THE EMAIL LOOK WRONG? If there’s ever a factual error, editing mistake, or confusing typo, it’ll be corrected in the web archives.
The Weekly Cybers is a personal look at what the Australian government has been saying and doing in the digital and cyber realms, on various adjacent topics, and whatever else interests me, Stilgherrian, published every Friday afternoon (nearly).
If I’ve missed anything, or if there’s any specific items you’d like me to follow, please let me know.
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This is not specifically a cyber security newsletter. For that that I recommend Risky Biz News and Cyber Daily, among others.