Federal MP’s from Queensland have called for the Albanese Government to act in order to clean up digital platforms by legislating to deal with young criminals boasting online.
Federal Member for Groom, Garth Hamilton, said the menace of youth crime had crossed into the digital world with horrific videos, photos and other content spreading the crime plague.
“This year we have seen horrific crime after horrific crime in Queensland and government should be doing everything we can to keep people safe and support police.
“The veritable flood of social media clips glamorising criminal activity is about gaining notoriety and has become a way to recruit the next generation and the crime plague is spreading,” Mr Hamilton said.
Evidence given to a Parliamentary Inquiry last week demonstrated that offenders are using social media platforms to glamourise their crimes, including on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Mr Hamilton said the situation was seeing criminals glorifying their behaviour and seeing a generation of young offenders become digital influencers exacerbating the offending cycle and recruiting more young people to anti-social behaviour.
“This is no longer a problem our society can ignore, we need to protect our community and young children from vulnerable backgrounds from being drawn to crime via social media.
“The Albanese Government can no longer shirk responsibility; they can take action to crack down on criminals who have hurt people across Queensland.
“I was saddened by the death of Mr Robert Brown in Toowoomba this year, but I was heartbroken to see the video footage of showing the criminals taking his backpack from his lifeless body after they had pushed him down onto the street.
“Enough is enough, this must stop. We need clear laws to make big tech companies responsive to community concern,” Mr Hamilton said.
Ends.
What are others saying about the issue
- Griffith University criminologist Ross Homel said, “Use of platforms for notoriety was a ‘crime facilitator’ similar to weapons, noting an example of a child posting a picture from a stolen car with the speedometer showing 191km/h”
- “These kids are getting additional amplification of their other activities within the peer group that matters to them” (Courier Mail, 23 Feb 2023)
- Child and Family Wellbeing Association of Australia Vice President Deb Tsorbaris said there was a “huge opportunity” to expand the eSafety commissioners’ powers.
- Queensland Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll said “All I am asking is that we help our community, empower authorities and tackle content that is harming people and driving crime.
- “I don’t know what the future holds in that space but we really do need to keep trying because it is one of the things that drives (offenders) behaviour.”
- PeakCare Queensland CEO, Tom Allsop told the Committee that social media was playing a part in the youth crime issue.
- Mr Allsop told the Committee, ‘Posting these behaviours online exacerbates the cycle of offending’.
