Online Safety

Keeping children and adults safe online
To help keep everyone’s web experience a safe one, this page provides resources about parental controls, cyberbullying, adult cyberbullying and how to report it, access to Kids Helpline, information on preventing access to illegal and restricted content and device safety. We take pride in fostering positive relationships between Australians and the internet industry. Part of how we do this is by increasing awareness of the Internet Industry Codes of Practice.

Content Filters
The Communications Alliance has a list of approved family friendly internet content filters that restrict and monitor websites which may be offensive and/or inappropriate for children. The list of certified family filters is available at here: https://www.commsalliance.com.au/Activities/ispi/fff Filters are typically computer programs that allow parents and IT system administrators to control what users can access online, through a list of blocked or allowed websites and programs. The filters on the family friendly filter list all meet criteria set out in the relevant industry code, and are subject to rigorous vetting and testing by Communications Alliance.

There are 4 classification levels for certified filters. 

  • Class 3: Recommended for children under 10 years old.
  • Class 2: Recommended for children between 10 and 15 years old.
  • Class 1: Recommended for children over 15 years old.
  • There are also filters that block websites on the eSafety commissioner's prohibited URL filter (PUF) list, and are recommended for adults aged 18+.

Filtering software works using one (or a combination of) the following three methods:
White lists:

A white list is a list of websites deemed "safe" for the general population. If a filter uses white listing, only websites on the white list are accessible, with all other websites and content blocked. Websites on a white list are generally educational or entertainment websites. White listed websites have been thoroughly vetted, and should never contain inappropriate or adult content of any kind.
The limitations of white lists:
As anything not on the white list is blocked, a lot of useful content is restricted alongside inappropriate content - hindering users' online experience.
Filtering companies may be impartial, and white list certain websites while blocking other websites that provide similar content.

Black lists:
A black list is a list of websites containing content the list's creator deems inappropriate. If a filter uses black listing, only websites on the black list are blocked, with the rest of the internet being accessible. Black lists are monitored regularly to ensure inappropriate content is added to the black list as soon as it appears on the internet. Black lists are often categorised into themes, so users can choose the types of content they want to block.
The limitations of black lists:
Black lists are generally not available to the public, as software providers keep their black lists secret to avoid it being duplicated by competitors. Due to the sheer volume of content on the internet, and the speed in which users can create new content, it is impossible to block every instance of inappropriate content through black listing it. Due in part to this, black list filters are often used in combination with keyword filtering (see below) so that demonstrably inappropriate content is blocked by default. Filtering companies may block websites that do not contain inappropriate content at their discretion, such as websites that criticise their software and websites that promote competitor offerings.

Keyword filtering
When a user accesses a web page, they are downloading that information. A keyword filter reads the page as it downloads it, searching for a list of keywords that the software creator deems inappropriate. If the keyword filter discovers an inappropriate keyword, it either blocks access to the website or removes the inappropriate words from the version of the page displayed on the user's screen. The major advantage of keyword filtering as it can scan the entire internet for inappropriate content, and doesn't require a list of websites.
The limitations of keyword filtering:
Keyword filter is not able to discern otherwise appropriate words being used in an inappropriate context. Many words used in hate speech, or in content that is of a sexual, violent, or criminal nature, are words that have a neutral meaning. Creators of inappropriate content take advantage of this and purposely appropriate words to ensure keyword filters don't block their content. Software that only removes inappropriate words from content will still display images and the rest of the website's content. This could lead to incomplete sentences that take on an entirely new meaning. Software that restricts access to the entire page based on it containing inappropriate keywords will lead to pages that use keywords in an appropriate context being blocked. This can be very frustrating for users trying to access content on the internet. Filtering companies may be biased when deciding which keywords to block. Like the other methods, this opens the door to anti-competitive practices, as the filtering software providers can add their competitors' names to the list of banned keywords.

Cyberbullying
No longer is bullying confined to the playground. With the advent of the internet, a child could be bullied from whenever they have access to the internet. Cyberbullies may act anonymously and can inflict significant emotional trauma on a child in their bedroom – a place that should be the safest of all. It’s important to talk to your children about cyberbullying and to make them aware of how to identify cyberbullying when it occurs. Tell your child that they should never respond to a cyberbully. Encourage your child to come to you immediately if they feel that they’ve been targeted. eSafety helps prevent and deal with cyberbullying and its impacts on children and young people by providing information, education and resources, and by investigating and helping to fix the most serious cases of cyberbullying. More information is available here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/cyberbullying

Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Kids Helpline can assist kids, teens and young adults with problematic online issues like sexting and cyberbullying: https://kidshelpline.com.au

Adult cyberbullying and the role of eSafety
eSafety helps all Australians prevent and deal with adult cyber abuse and its impacts through providing information, education and resources, as well as investigating the most serious cases of abuse. More information is available here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/adult-cyber-abuse

Illegal and restricted online content
eSafety can direct an online service or platform to remove illegal content or ensure that restricted content can only be accessed by people who are 18 or older. More information is available here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/Illegal-restricted-content

eSafety also have information available designed to assist you in dealing with illegal and restricted content and distressing content, including information for parents and carers, here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/illegal-restricted-content/distressing-content

Device Safety
In order to limit access to certain types of content on a device, you should consult your device manual for tools available for your specific device. Information about accredited family filtering products which can be used to limit access to certain types of content can also be found here: https://www.commsalliance.com.au/Activities/ispi/fff

Complaints about class 1A and class 1B material under Online Safety Codes
This section details how complaints can be made about Class 1A and 1B materials designated under various Online Safety Codes. 1A material comprises of child exploitation material, pro-terror material, and extreme crime and violence materials. Class 1B material comprises crime and violence material and drug related material.

Australian end users have a right to complain to a content provider and eSafety (including where a complaint to a content provider remains unresolved) about class 1A and class 1B material, or unsolicited electronic messages that promote such material.

Online Safety Complaints
You can report any offensive or illegal online content to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner via this link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/report/what-is-illegal-restricted-content

eSafety helps Australians prevent and deal with harm caused by serious online abuse or illegal and restricted online content. You can report a complaint about cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse (sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images without the consent of the person shown) or illegal and restricted online content here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/report/forms

Internet safety tips for kids:

  • Supervise your children’s use of the internet.
  • Ensure connected devices, including mobile devices, are used in common areas such as loungerooms.
  • Ensure online account names, e.g. gamer tags, are appropriate and can never be traced, including names, contact details and physical addresses.
  • Educate yourself about online services and functionality, including social media such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, messaging services and online forums.
  • Support your children through regular discussions about appropriate and inappropriate internet usage, online experiences and questions.
  • Encourage your children to report to you, a teacher, or other support person, about experiences with inappropriate online content and the behaviours of others online.
  • Check browsing and search histories.
  • Use internet filtering products and security software to block/restrict access to inappropriate content, for example, certain websites, video chats, forums or live streaming.

Internet safety tips for teens:
As your kids grow and enter their teens, the boundaries may move a little further out. They may use devices outside of the home common areas, they may purchase things online, they may spend more time on social media.

  • Talk to your teens about the online threats you’re concerned about so they can more easily identify them. This should include cyber bullying or harassment, contact from strangers, and phishing or identity theft scams.
  • Give them ground rules. Some simple ground rules include: not sharing personal information online, not using public wifi networks when outside the home, not accepting a friend request from people they don’t know, not opening email from unknown senders, and not sharing photos online.
  • Agree that you will be a follower or friend of all their social media accounts. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about each social media platform, so you can identify threats or hazards, and it will give you an opportunity to see what they’re sharing online.
  • Be on the lookout for secretive behaviour, like hiding or moving their screens when you enter the room, creating new accounts, or any big behavioural changes after time online.

Internet safety tips for adults:
e-Safety is just as important for adults as it is for kids and teens. Below are some tips for keeping your Superloop and other online accounts safe, including protecting your personal and financial information.

  • Update your devices regularly to ensure you have the latest security in place
  • Turn on multi-factor authentication to add another layer of protection to your accounts
  • Back up your important files to safeguard your data from threats
  • Use passphrases that use four or more random words and password managers to help generate or store secure and unique passphrases
  • Don’t reuse passwords or use the same password for multiple systems
  • Always triple check the sender email address before opening attachments or clicking on links
  • Don’t reply to texts from numbers you don’t know, especially when they claim to be a member of your family needing help

You can also report this content to us via email to complaints@jazi.net