Speech - Address to the Telco Together Foundation

Hi, I’m Michelle Rowland, the Minister for Communications.

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands you are gathered on. I pay respect to Elders past and present, and First Nations people attending.

Thank you to the Telco Together Foundation for inviting me to say a few words as part of your CEO Roundtable on Tech Abuse.

Violence against women and children is a problem of epidemic proportions in Australia.

One in three women has experienced physical violence, and one in five has experienced sexual violence.

This is unacceptable.

When it comes to addressing this national crisis, we all have a role to play.

It’s encouraging to see Australia’s telco industry taking unified action to support vulnerable customers and employees.

I welcome the new industry-wide consumer campaign on tech abuse led by the Telco Together Foundation.

Telecommunication services need to be a safe, secure and reliable avenue for people to seek the support they need to leave a violent situation, and remain connected with family, friends and important social support networks.

Last month, I announced better protections for telco customers to ensure they can access timely support, and stay connected when they need it the most.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will make an enforceable industry standard to ensure appropriate support is provided.

The regulated safeguards will set obligations relating to the privacy, safety and security of customer accounts.

Telcos must recognise domestic and family violence as a potential cause of financial difficulty, and the impact any service suspension or disconnection may have.

Discussions between alleged perpetrators and victim-survivors will be prohibited, and victims won’t need to re-provide evidence, or re-tell their stories, to telcos.

There will also be minimum requirements for telcos to set policies, train staff, and undertake compliance reporting.

I am confident stakeholders will work constructively with the ACMA as it develops the new domestic, family and sexual violence industry standard.  

Again, I want to acknowledge the positive and proactive efforts your industry is already taking to tackle this issue.

More broadly, governments around Australia are working together to deliver a shared vision to end gender-based violence within a generation.

This is happening through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.

The Albanese Labor Government has introduced domestic violence leave, and is securing accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

As Communications Minister, I am working with industry, and across government, to address tech-facilitated abuse on online dating platforms.

I am progressing Classification Scheme reforms to help combat violent and misogynistic content that reinforces disgusting attitudes towards women.

This is complemented by the Stop it at the Start campaign which is targeting online spaces where violent and misogynistic content thrives.

We are funding the eSafety Commissioner to establish a support service to assist women and children experiencing technology-facilitated abuse.

This service will provide trauma-informed tech support and safety information to victim-survivors and frontline workers.

And we have provided additional funding for eSafety to deliver the Preventing Tech-based Abuse of Women Grants Program.

The Albanese Government is getting on with the job of creating safe and secure online spaces.

Of course, we know more needs to be done.

And we know that domestic violence primarily happens behind closed doors.

It exists in darkness and is empowered by silence.

Events like the CEO Roundtable on Tech Abuse help to shine a light on these nationally important issues. This is how we create change.

Thank you to the Telco Together Foundation for your leadership in this space.

And for organising this important roundtable.