New ‘demasking’ powers to target anonymous online abuse
Social media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online vilification under new laws proposed in Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan announced the reforms on Sunday, saying families needed new ways to protect their children online.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Vcat) would gain ‘demasking’ powers to order platforms to reveal the identities of account holders in vilification cases. This is the first such proposal by an Australian state.
Lower threshold for negligence claims against platforms
The state government will also lower the legal threshold to sue social media and artificial intelligence platforms for negligence causing psychiatric harm to children. Current laws require families to prove a child has suffered a permanent impairment of at least 10% before pursuing damages, assessed by medical practitioners using calculations to estimate injury significance.
The changes would scrap that threshold for suits brought on behalf of minors, with further changes for adult victims to be considered.
Experts call for broader reforms
Marilyn Bromberg, an associate professor of law at the University of Western Australia specialising in social media regulation, said the changes were a step in the right direction but should go further. ‘Demasking’ powers in some overseas jurisdictions had been shown to discourage harmful behaviours in some cases, she told AAP. ‘It’s a brave start, but I don’t think it goes far enough.’
Bromberg said there was no reason the reforms should not be extended to other forms of online behaviours, including defamation and cyberbullying. She also welcomed moves to make it easier for families to pursue negligence claims, noting that ‘the harms that social media can cause young people have been substantiated by compelling, peer-reviewed research.’
Political reaction and implementation timeline
Allan said the laws, which would build on Victoria’s existing anti-vilification regime, were being drafted. ‘We’re going to use every single day available to us to bring these laws to the parliament,’ she said. However, with only four sitting weeks until the state election, shadow attorney general James Newbury said the reforms were unlikely to make the cut. The Coalition supported the effort in principle, but its backing would depend on the proposal’s details and likely impact, he said. ‘I don’t think Elon Musk is looking at Jacinta Allan’s announcement today and quaking in his boots.’
Global context of legal challenges
Social media companies have been facing growing legal challenges from families overseas. Earlier in 2026, a US jury found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, touted as a turning point in the global backlash against platforms’ perceived mental health harms to young people. The Victorian reforms will be developed following consultations with the tribunal, courts and other stakeholders.
