DATE: TUESDAY, 5TH MARCH 2024
VENUE: Bird & Bird, Level 22, 25 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000
TIME: 11.00 AM – 1.00 PM AEDT
Register from 10.30 am.
The Australian Government has indicated that 2024 will see further reform in relation to online safety, including through proposed amendments to the Basic Online Safety Expectations under the Online Safety Act 2021. At this event, we will hear from Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, on her views on the future online safety regulatory landscape and what has been achieved since the Online Safety Act took effect. Our panellists will consider developments in the UK and debate how best to address key online safety issues from a regulatory perspective.
The forum will run from 11:00 am to 1.00 pm. A light networking lunch will be served between 12.30 pm and 1 pm.
Keynote Speaker
Julie Inman Grant – eSafety Commissioner
Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. In this role, Julie leads the world’s first government regulatory agency committed to keeping its citizens safer online.
Julie has extensive experience in the non-profit and government sectors and spent two decades working in senior public policy and safety roles in the tech industry at Microsoft, Twitter and Adobe.
The Commissioner’s career began in Washington DC, working in the US Congress and the non-profit sector before taking on a role at Microsoft. Julie’s experience at Microsoft spanned 17 years, serving as one of the company’s first and longest-standing government relations professionals, ultimately in the role of Global Director for Safety and Privacy Policy and Outreach. At Twitter, she set up and drove the company’s policy, safety and philanthropy programs across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
As Commissioner, Julie plays an important global role as Chair of the Child Dignity Alliance’s Technical Working Group and as a Board Member of the WePROTECT Global Alliance. The Commissioner also serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital SafetyExternal link and on their XR Ecosystem Governance Steering Committee on Building and Defining the Metaverse. Under her leadership, eSafety has joined forces with the White House Gender Policy Council and Government of Denmark on the Global PartnershipExternal link for Action on Gender-Based Harassment and Abuse.
The Commissioner was recently named one of Australia’s most influential women by the Australian Financial Review and a leading Australian in Foreign Affairs by the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2020, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Apolitical appointed the Commissioner as one of the #Agile50, the world’s most influential leaders revolutionising government.
Pre-recorded address
Jenna Omassi – United Kingdom International Policy Manager, Online Safety Ofcom
Jenna Omassi is an International Policy Manager at Ofcom. Jenna manages Ofcom’s international engagement on online safety, including on issues like hate and terrorism, child sexual abuse, and violence against women and girls. With Ofcom taking on the Chair of the Global Online Safety Regulators Network in 2024, Jenna currently leads the Secretariat for the Network.
Panel Speakers
Jennifer Duxbury – Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI)
Dr Duxbury is a senior legal professional and policy advisor with over 20 years of international experience spanning private and public sector legal practice, corporate governance, government regulation and education.
Dr Duxbury has held General Counsel roles at Reuters Limited, Airservices Australia, Lonely Planet and ninemsn. Jenny has recently completed a PhD in public policy at the Institute of Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, where she also teaches graduate programs in law and business administration.
She led the drafting of the Australian Code of Practice for Disinformation and Misinformation for DIGI.
Ben Au – Manager of Public Policy, ANZ, Snap Inc.
Ben joined Snap Inc in 2023 where he leads public policy for Australia and New Zealand. From 2018 to 2023, he was the Director of Policy & Government Affairs for the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), which represents the video games industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Au previously spent over a decade in the Australian Government, including in various policy roles within the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of Communications and the Arts and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. Mr Au is currently also an advisor to A New Approach, Australia’s leading arts and culture think tank.
The discussion will be moderated by
Julie Cheeseman – Partner, Bird & Bird
She has over 15 years’ experience in managing IT&T and media disputes across a range of jurisdictions and forums. Julie enjoys working closely with her clients to devise and implement strategic and effective approaches to case formulation, presentation and resolution.
Her technology dispute experience covers a variety of technologies and complex implementations including billing systems, inventory management systems, customer management systems, e-Health systems and satellite and cable transmission networks. She analyse complex IT supply contracts and give detailed written advice on liability and remedies arising under contract and the common law.
Julie has also managed many disputes for media organisations such as defamation, copyright, contempt and suppression order matters. She regularly provide pre-publication advice to editors, journalists and producers in relation to print, digital and film publications.
In addition to herr disputes practice, Julie advise public and private sector clients with respect to Australia’s privacy and data breach legislation. She also have a keen interest in assisting clients with internal and regulatory investigations.
James Hoy – Special Counsel, Bird & Bird
James Hoy is a Special Counsel in at Bird & Bird Sydney office. He also specialise in media and technology disputes and advice with a particular focus on privacy and data protection matters.
The core of James’ practice involves complex media and technology privacy advice and other compliance work, including regularly advising on cross border matters and significant privacy and data protection projects. He regularly advise in relation to adtech issues and made significant contributions to the Australian chapter of an adtech resource released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
James’ experience advising clients from around the globe on Australian law issues includes:
- advice on day-to-day privacy compliance
- responding to data breaches and regulatory investigations
- advocating on privacy law reforms, including assisting with submissions as part of the law reform process
- other regulatory advice, including in relation to media law and online safety
James Hoy is recognised by peers as a “Rising Star’, within the area of IP & TMT law in New South Wales, in the 2022 edition of Doyle’s Guide.
His deep experience acting for clients from the media and technology sectors means he has a sophisticated understanding of the technical aspects of the technologies used to deliver targeted online advertising and personalisation and the application of Australian privacy law to those technologies. He also has a wealth of experience in managing the interests of various stakeholders to come up with strategic solutions that address privacy compliance risks that arise on major projects while also enabling organisations and agencies to meet their commercial or other objectives. His specialist expertise in media and technology matters, combined with his in-house experience, helps him to deliver advice to clients that is both insightful and pragmatic.
In addition to James’ privacy practice, he is an experienced litigator with particular expertise in defamation proceedings, having acted for major media organisations throughout most of his career. This includes acting on behalf of newspaper publishers, as well as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, for whom he has previously worked in-house. James have also acted for public and private sector clients across a range of other contentious matters, including matters relating to IT contracts, copyright infringement, injurious falsehood, breach of privacy, breach of confidence, misleading and deceptive conduct, suppression orders and subpoenas to produce.
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