Issue No 17: 25 June 2020

Communications Alliance supports the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Communications Alliance warmly welcomes and supports the recently launched Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The Voluntary Principles were developed by the Five Country Governments (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States), in close consultation with leading technology companies and a broad range of experts from industry, civil society and academia. They aim at guiding efforts across the globe to safeguard children on online platforms and services.

“Our industry is committed to the Principles. In fact, our members have a long-standing record of closely cooperating with law enforcement agencies and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner in the fight against the abuse of the most vulnerable in society, our children,” said Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton.

“The communications and platforms industry is very alert to the risks that children can be exposed to on the internet and will continue to devote significant resources on effective and innovative ways to make the internet a safer space for all Australians, especially for children and other vulnerable people.

“It is critical that our industry, together with other sectors such as education, and Government continue to collaboratively drive and foster a proactive, comprehensive and global response to online child exploitation and abuse,” Mr Stanton concluded.

Submission on the Cyber and Critical Technology International Engagement Strategy

Communications Alliance provided feedback in response to the Department of Foreign Affairs call for submissions on a proposed Cyber and Critical Technology International Engagement Strategy (CCTIES).

The submission calls for three specific outcomes that a CCTIES should seek to deliver:

• Increased cyber literacy and security, nationally and in our key trading partner countries;
• Harmonisation of relevant legislation, the development/adoption of open technology standards and a coherent (and timely) approach to the proliferation of new key technologies; and
• Improved international coordination and development of effective enforcement mechanisms at an international level.

It is also noted that current national approaches to cyber security and other cyber-related matters would benefit from streamlining to allow for the most effective and efficient pursuit of aCCTIES strategy.

Responding to the ACMA’s Spectrum Management Priorities

The Communications Alliance Satellite Services Working Group (SSWG) has provided a submission to the ACMA’s annual spectrum management consultation by responding to the Authority's draft Five-Year Spectrum Outlook (the ‘FYSO’) and spectrum management work program, which summarises the ACMA’s proposed activities and provides detailed information about the their planned work priorities for 2020–21.

The SSWG has provided a detailed band-by-band review of the all the satellite-related spectrum bands (L, S, C, Ku and Ka) and the growing interest in the higher frequency Q and V bands. In the fallout from the effects of the current pandemic, the SSWG is suggesting that there is an opportunity for a ‘regulatory re-set’ – a chance to simplify the regulatory framework and make it more progressive and less burdensome for all stakeholders. In the absence of the ACMA Radcomms spectrum management events, the SSWG has also suggested that the ACMA may wish to consider in the interim a Spectrum Tune-Up, dedicated to a general consolidated assessment of the mid-band spectrum needs within Australia.