Ai Group welcomed the opportunity to make a submission on the consultation of the Exposure Draft of the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) Bill 2021 (Anti-Trolling Bill) by the Attorney-General's Department (AGO).

Overall, industry recognises the importance of protecting the safety, security and privacy of the Australian community, both in the physical and online realm. Indeed, Ai Group works closely with governments and their agencies on improving Australia's safety, security and privacy in a diverse range of areas. In this mix, the eSafety Commissioner has an important specific role to promote a safe online environment, as well as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to promote privacy protections.

Our submission therefore does not object to the underlying intention behind the legislation, which is to provide appropriate protections for the Australian community against online defamation. Instead, we wish to raise matters with the Bill focused particularly on clarity of fundamental questions relating to the Bill, scope of targeted businesses and interrelated reforms in place or underway. These are similar matters that we have raised in a range of other consultations that we consider also pertinent to this Bill.