The Australian Federal election is Saturday May 3. This is an opportunity to make our key concerns known to almost 700 candidates wanting to secure your vote!

At Collective Shout we are non-partisan. But we do want to know if candidates - of whatever political stripe - care about the issues we do. And then cast our votes accordingly.

To assist you in casting your vote we have prepared five key questions for you to put to your candidates:

• Do you commit to supporting age verification to help protect children from p*rn and not allow the vested interests of the global p*rn industry to undermine the current trial?
• Do you support tighter regulations on Big Tech/social media platforms to hold them accountable for the harms they have caused, especially to young people?
• Do you support laws to stop the creation and dissemination of AI-enabled Deepfake Image Based Sexual Abuse and a global ban on nudifying and undressing apps? 
• Will you take action to tighten up Australia’s classification laws to stop explicit material including torture p*rn-themed graphic novels/comics to be in easy access of children including in public libraries?
• Will you support a new inquiry into advertising self regulation given frequent violation of the ad code of ethics and no penalties for non-compliance meaning more children are exposed to p*rnified depictions of women in public spaces? 

You can find all the background information you’ll need to make the case to your candidates here.

Age Verification

Collective Shout lobbied for years for proof-of-age protections as one barrier in the way of children accessing rape, torture, sadism and incest porn at the click of a button. We spearheaded an open letter signed by Australia’s leading child protection and women’s safety experts, calling on the Federal Government to reverse an earlier decision against an age verification trial. This effort was successful, with the Government adding the trial to a suite of measures following an emergency cabinet meeting to address an epidemic of violence against women. The trial is currently underway. 

However the powerful global porn industry which has always put profit before community wellbeing, is opposed to any regulation – even to protect vulnerable children. For example, in the 17 US states which have passed AV laws, Pornhub prefers to shut up shop than comply. We can’t allow this predatory industry which fuels violence, aggression, sexual harassment of women and girls and harmful sexual behaviours to undermine this hard fought for trial or to run interference on any other related child protection measures.

UK age-verification has kids – and parents - at heart

The Federal election is scheduled for July 2. Now is the perfect time to let your local candidate know how you feel about the objectification of women, sexualisation of girls and pornification of society. The research is solid. There is no longer any doubt about the devastating harms to our children and young people – indeed to all of us. We need our political leaders to act. But they will only take action if they see there is a constituency for change.

We’ve done the hard work for you. All the latest research is contained in three recent submissions on sexualisation of children, harms of pornography and links between gender inequality and domestic violence.

Here are some points you can make. Request a 15-minute meeting with your candidate. Or email or call them with your thoughts. You can approach them out on the ‘hustings’ at shopping centres and other public places. Or when they turn up on your doorstep! You will find them more open than ever to hearing from you. The main political parties keep tabs on what constituents are raising with them so make your views known.