The Australian Online Safety Act 2021 (Online Safety Act) is designed to keep Australians safe from online harm. Learn more about the Online Safety Act.
Here is what you can do if you or someone you know sees distressing content online or experiences online harm or abuse, or if you are looking to keep you and your family safe online.
Report online harm to eSafety
The eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent regulator for online safety and can investigate and help you deal with serious online abuse and illegal and restricted online content. You can report a complaint about cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse (sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images without the consent of the person shown) or illegal and restricted online content to eSafety directly.
Report online harm to Google or other content service providers
If you see illegal content or other harmful content on Google services that violates Google’s policies, you can report it to us.
Visit the Google Transparency Center or the Google Help Center to learn more about Google Policies and how to report content.
If you find harmful content on a non-Google service you should contact the content provider directly, or alternatively eSafety (see above).To report content on an App downloaded from Google Play you may also contact the app provider.
Online safety resources
The Google Safety center provides information on how to keep you and your family safe online, including information on tools to manage access to what your children can discover online
For additional resources on how to help you and your children learn how to stay safe online and build healthy digital habits, visit our Google Families site.
For information on YouTube, you can also visit the YouTube Privacy and Safety Center.
Support services
If you or someone you know has experienced serious online harm or have seen distressing content, you do not need to deal with it alone. The organisations below are dedicated to helping those in need:
- Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
eSafety also provides helpful resources for parents, carers and young people on what to do and how to get support if you see distressing content online.
Google’s compliance with the Online Safety Act
Google is subject to certain obligations under the Online Safety Act. Learn more about the registered Industry Online Safety Codes and Standards.
Google takes its obligations to comply with the Online Safety Act seriously. If you are an Australian user and believe Google does not comply with the Online Safety Act, report it here.