Industry codes complaints

On this page:

• About the industry codes
• What you can make a complaint about
• Before you make an industry codes complaint
• How to make an industry codes complaint to eSafety
• What eSafety does with your complaint
• Reporting online content to have it removed

The Consolidated Industry Codes of Practice for the Online Industry (Class 1A and Class 1B Material) apply to six sections of the online industry:

• Social media services – services that enable online social interactions between users, discovery of other users and posting of content.
• App distribution services – services that enable users to download third-party apps or software online.
• Internet carriage services – services that enable users to access the internet through telecommunications infrastructure (internet service providers). 
• Hosting services – services that store material provided on websites.
• Equipment providers – manufacturers, suppliers, installers and maintainers of electronic equipment which facilitates access to the internet.
• Search engine services – services that enable users to search an index of websites and receive search results (including results generated by artificial intelligence).

The industry codes for social media services, app distribution services, internet carriage services, hosting services and equipment providers commenced on 16 December 2023.

The industry code for internet search engine services commenced on 12 March 2024.

Complaints about possible non-compliance with industry codes can now be made for all six sections.

You can make an industry codes complaint to us about any potential non-compliance with the industry codes. A service may not be complying with an industry code if you:

• encountered unlawful material (such as child sexual abuse material) on the service – although individual examples of illegal content on an online service does not mean the provider has breached an industry code
• could not find sufficient safety features, tools, or acceptable use policies or terms of service
• could not find safety information on the use of the service
• made a complaint to the service in relation to unlawful material or possible non-compliance with an industry code and it was not resolved, and/or responded to 
• were unable to make a complaint, or report content and/or misuse to the service. 

You should consider making a complaint directly to the service about non-compliance with an industry code, if you have not already done so. Reporting a complaint to the service can be the fastest way to resolve issues, if the service allows reports. You can find direct links for many services in The eSafety Guide.

You can fill out our industry codes complaint form if you think a service is not complying with an industry code. 

Please note that eSafety is only able to receive industry codes complaints from Australian residents and companies operating in Australia. If you are not in Australia you may find some help through your local authorities or an international organisation.

START CODES COMPLAINT

eSafety can assess compliance with an industry code, issue directions to comply with an industry code and take enforcement action for non-compliance.

The industry codes require service providers to take certain steps to reduce the risk of unlawful and highly harmful material on their services. Individual examples of illegal content on an online service does not mean the provider has breached an industry code. However, industry codes complaints can help eSafety to identify potential non-compliance by a service and understand wider issues around compliance with the industry codes, so we can help to keep Australians safer online.