The online safety youth advisory council

The online safety youth advisory council was appointed in April 2022. It was set up to provide young people a voice about online safety policy. The 25 council members are aged 13 to 24 years and are from a diverse range of experiences, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and locations. The first meeting was held on June 22, 2022. As of February 2023, the council has been named as the eSafety Youth Council.

The Council will provide advice to Government about issues that young people experience online and explore ways of supporting them to have positive online experiences. It will also inform eSafety's youth policies and programs. 

The operation of the Council has been informed by recommendations included in the Youth Engagement Report, commissioned by eSafety. The report explored the online experiences of young Australians and their concerns and ideas for the future.

A draft Youth aspirational statement for online safety was developed by the young people who participated in the research. This statement highlights the importance of listening to young people and hearing their perspectives when discussing online safety.

The Council provides an authentic perspective about the real issues that young people face online.

The input and experiences of the members provides a direct voice to the Government about the online safety issues that impact young people. The Council will also help shape online safety programs for other young people.

The Council will report to Government on action that can be taken by many different groups, including eSafety and industry.

For more information about the eSafety Youth Council, visit our page in the Young People section of the website.