Ms Anna Morgan:

I thank the Senator. He is correct that the volume of complaints the DPC experiences annually is in the region of thousands. For example, in 2020 it received more than 4,500 complaints. We understand the challenges Ms Craig has talked about in terms of the scale and volume of complaints and contacts that might be received by the media commission. This goes to the important debate already taking place among members of the public on the question of whether there is a systemic or an individualised complaint-handling mechanism. In our written submissions, we noted the explanations the Department has provided in setting out the basis for seeking to adopt a systemic complaints-handling mechanism. We have also noted the views of academics, NGOs and other organisations in online rights, including children's organisations. We note they have called for individual complaint-handling mechanisms. We respectfully suggest the committee consider seeking further expert input on this area. There is a delicate balance and we understand the unique challenges that can arise from a large volume of complaints and the obligation to handle same. At the same time, we are mindful of the comments from those sorts of expert organisations which have raised concerns about the current structure for handling concerns raised where a platform does not respond, for example, to a request to take down material.