Georgie Gardner slams minister in heated interview: "Teens are taking their lives"
Today show co-host Georgie Gardner has called out Communications Minister Mitch Fifield after he claimed Australia is "leading the world when it comes to action against cyberbullying."
Fifield was on Today to discuss the findings of a senate inquiry into cyberbullying, which recommended social media platforms be held accountable for the bullying occurring on their watch.
"The committee report essentially calls for a full court press against cyberbullying, having state and federal governments, schools, not-for-profit organisations working together against the scourge of cyberbullying," Fifield told TODAY.
"It's also important to recognise Australia is leading the world when it comes to action against cyberbullying. And Malcolm Turnbull as Communications Minister established the world's first eSafety Commissioner, which is one-stop-shop for kids to go to if they're being cyberbullied.
"And we also gave the eSafety Commissioner very strong powers to direct social media organisations to take down cyberbullying material and if they don't, they can be hit with fines of $17,000 a day. And the Commissioner also has the power to issue an End User Notice, a cease and desist notice to people who are putting this material up.
"So we already have some strong powers," he claimed.
But Gardner was having none of it after numerous incidents of shocking cyberbulling have made headlines in recent months, including the tragic suicide of Northern Territorian girl Amy 'Dolly' Everett at only age 14.
"Suggesting we are leading the world is very hard for a lot of families to hear," Gardner responded.
"So many families are rocked by cyberbullying. There have been teens taking their lives as a result of cyberbullying. These social media platforms share some responsibility for what's seen on their platforms.
"Do you think these suggestions of penalties are harsh enough? Do they go far enough?"
Fifield replied that "all options are on the table when it comes to doing whatever we can to stamp out cyberbullying".
"Regrettably, bullying has always been with us, but what technology does is it gives bullies the capacity to follow kids into their homes, into their bedrooms, and what we need to do is - more than anything - make sure that kids are aware, if you are being cyberbullied, let a parent know, let a teacher know, contact the eSafety Commissioner.
"You don't want to suffer in silence. There is help available. We can have this material taken down from these social media platforms.
"We've gotta make sure kids know there's help."
Gardner replies: "I guess what parents want to hear, rather than these recommendations are on the table, they want to hear that these recommendations are going to become law and they want that happening quickly."
"Well the good news is that a lot of what the committee spoke about already is law," Fifield said. "We already do have an eSafety Commissioner kids can go to. The Commissioner can direct social media organisations to take this material down.
"We have strong powers that we can direct people that are perpetrators to cease and desist. We also have criminal provisions at the state and commonwealth levels.
"It is an offence to use carriage service devices, phones, to menace, harass cause offence.
"There's up to three years in prison if you do that, or fines of up to..."
Gardner interrupted him: "But Minister, with respect, it doesn't seem to be working. We had someone on the program yesterday whose daughter at the age of 13, took her own life as a result of cyberbullying just four weeks ago."
"Well there's no silver bullet when it comes to this area," Fifield responded. "We have strong criminal provisions. We have the capacity to direct social media organisations to take material down.
"We need to have a strong education effort, and the eSafety Commissioner has accredited schemes where schools can put in their own classrooms...evidence to help kids to work out how to deal with this.
"Also the eSafety Commissioner has reached 200,000 hits through their own 'virtual classroom', so there's no silver bullet. We've got to work together, but more to be done."