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Don’t weaponise the Haines attack for online censorship

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) •
November 02, 2026 • 06:00 PM
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The narrative is politically convenient for a government citing violence against women to justify its digital duty of care bill.

Don’t weaponise the Haines attack for online censorship

Politicians were quick to link the horrific attack on Helen Haines to gendered violence and social media, invoking a familiar causal chain: sexist online content breeds hostile rhetoric, which breeds real-world violence, mostly against women.

Pleas from the prime minister to “turn the temperature down” in online political debates were soon accompanied by calls to pass the digital duty of care bill.

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