The Australian Government is committed to keeping all Australians safe online. We fund a number of programs and initiatives to support this commitment.
Digital literacy and online safety for Australian children
All Australian students are able to access free digital literacy and online safety education through the Alannah and Madeline Foundation's eSmart programs, funded by the Australian Government.
These programs teach young Australians to recognise unsafe behaviour online, in a structured and age-appropriate way that aligns with the school curriculum.
eSmart provides teachers with lesson plans and resources to help introduce students to the following concepts:
- Ages 4 to 6: What is digital technology?
- Ages 7 to 9: What do I do when I get my first device?
- Ages 10 to 12: How can I be a positive digital citizen?
- Ages 13 to 16: How can I realise my digital agency?
Find out more about the eSmart program.
The Australian Government committed $6 million to the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to make eSmart products available from 2022 until 2026.
Digital literacy and online safety for older Australians
The Be Connected program, delivered by eSafety, provides older Australians with a range of online resources and face-to-face classes, to build confidence, digital skills and online safety.
The program includes Be Connected Young Mentors, an intergenerational mentoring program between high school-aged youth and older Australians. This program provides older people with the opportunity to learn from digitally-savvy young people, while equipping young people with valuable communication and leadership skills.
Find out more about the Be Connected program.
The Australian Government committed $31.2 million to deliver the Be Connected program from 2017 until June 2028.
Preventing gender-based technology facilitated violence
As part of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and their Children, the Australian Government is providing $10 million from 2023 to 2028 to develop the Preventing Tech Based Abuse of Women Grants Program.
This program funds initiatives that address the drivers of gender-based technology facilitated violence, shift prevailing social norms and foster positive and respectable behaviour online.
Under Round 1 of the program, $3 million was provided to 6 projects with a focus on the prevention of online harms and enhanced safety for women and their children. Read about Round 1 projects and recipients.
For Round 2, $3.5 million has been awarded to 10 non-government organisations working to prevent online gender-based violence in a range of communities, and address drivers of harm. This includes $600,000 of priority funding for community-based projects that focus on the prevention of tech-based abuse of First Nations women. Read about Round 2 projects and recipients.
Ongoing funding for eSafety
In the 2023–24 Budget, the government quadrupled eSafety's base funding, bringing it to $42.5 million each year ongoing and indexed. This enables eSafety to continue implementing the Online Safety Act 2021, keep up with demand for its investigations, and provide education programs to support all Australians to have more positive online experiences.
Read more about eSafety's role as Australia's independent online safety regulator.