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Expanding Freedom and Democracy
Freedom on the Net 2025

Australia

Free
75
100
A Obstacles to Access 23 25
B Limits on Content 28 35
C Violations of User Rights 24 40
Last Year's Score & Status
76 100 Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). See the methodology and report acknowledgements.
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header1 Key Developments, June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Internet freedom in Australia remained relatively robust. The government did not restrict internet or mobile connectivity and did not block political or social content online. However, the government has increased online surveillance and limited the security of encrypted communications in recent years.

  • A survey published in December 2024 found that more than two-thirds of First Nations people living in remote communities struggled to afford internet access, though internet access rates in those communities had increased by 12 percent compared to a similar survey conducted in 2022 (A2).1
  • Measures that would limit the scope of defamation liability for internet intermediaries went into force in New South Wales and the Capital Territory in July 2024 (B2).2
  • The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 was passed in November 2024, creating an obligation for designated platforms to implement technical methods to verify that users are 16 or older by December 2025. The law defines designated platforms broadly, as those that allow users to post content and connect with others, with additional specifications and exemptions to follow. The law includes some privacy safeguards, prohibiting platforms from collecting government identification directly and requiring companies to delete personal information after age-verification is complete.3 As of September 2025, the eSafety Commissioner had reportedly advised 16 companies that their platforms might be designated under the law (B3, B6, and C4).4
  • In December, Parliament passed the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, introducing a criminal offense for the release of personal information “in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, menacing or harassing,” with a penalty of up to six years’ imprisonment. The amendments also set out a requirement for the Privacy Commissioner to establish regulations for children’s online privacy within two years (C2 and C6).5
  • Authorities disclosed in July 2024 that a Chinese state-linked hacking group had targeted entities in Australia, breaching two organizations and exfiltrating data,6 and similarly disclosed in August 2025, after the coverage period, that the Chinese-backed operation dubbed Salt Typhoon had targeted Australians (C8).7

header2 Political Overview

Australia has a strong record of advancing and protecting political rights and civil liberties. Challenges to these freedoms include the threat of foreign political influence, harsh policies toward asylum seekers, de facto discrimination against LGBT+ people, legal constraints on the press, and ongoing difficulties in ensuring the equal rights of First Nations Australians.

This report has been abridged for Freedom on the Net 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.

A Obstacles to Access

A1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Do infrastructural limitations restrict access to the internet or the speed and quality of internet connections? 6.006 6.006
A2 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Is access to the internet prohibitively expensive or beyond the reach of certain segments of the population for geographical, social, or other reasons? 2.002 3.003
A3 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does the government exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity? 6.006 6.006
A4 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Are there legal, regulatory, or economic obstacles that restrict the diversity of service providers? 5.005 6.006
A5 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do national regulatory bodies that oversee service providers and digital technology fail to operate in a free, fair, and independent manner? 4.004 4.004

B Limits on Content

B1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does the state block or filter, or compel service providers to block or filter, internet content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? 5.005 6.006
B2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do state or nonstate actors employ legal, administrative, or other means to force publishers, content hosts, or digital platforms to delete content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? 2.002 4.004
B3 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do restrictions on the internet and digital content lack transparency, proportionality to the stated aims, or an independent appeals process? 2.002 4.004
B4 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do online journalists, commentators, and ordinary users practice self-censorship? 3.003 4.004
B5 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Are online sources of information controlled or manipulated by the government or other powerful actors to advance a particular political interest? 3.003 4.004
B6 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Are there economic or regulatory constraints that negatively affect users’ ability to publish content online? 3.003 3.003
B7 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Does the online information landscape lack diversity and reliability? 4.004 4.004
B8 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Do conditions impede users’ ability to mobilize, form communities, and campaign, particularly on political and social issues? 6.006 6.006

C Violations of User Rights

C1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Do the constitution or other laws fail to protect rights such as freedom of expression, access to information, and press freedom, including on the internet, and are they enforced by a judiciary that lacks independence? 5.005 6.006
C2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Are there laws that assign criminal penalties or civil liability for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? 2.002 4.004
C3 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Are individuals penalized for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? 5.005 6.006

Score Change: The score declined from 6 to 5 because disproportionate civil penalties were issued in online defamation cases, in contrast to the previous coverage period.1

C4 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Does the government place restrictions on anonymous communication or encryption? 2.002 4.004
C5 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does state surveillance of internet activities infringe on users’ right to privacy? 2.002 6.006
C6 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does monitoring and collection of user data by service providers and other technology companies infringe on users’ right to privacy? 3.003 6.006
C7 1.00-5.00 pts0-5 pts
Are individuals subject to extralegal intimidation or physical violence by state authorities or any other actor in relation to their online activities? 4.004 5.005
C8 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Are websites, governmental and private entities, service providers, or individual users subject to widespread hacking and other forms of cyberattack? 1.001 3.003

On Australia

See all data, scores & information on this country or territory.

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Country Facts

  • Population

    26,010,000

  • Global Freedom Score

    95 100 free

  • Internet Freedom Score

    75 100 free

  • Freedom in the World Status

    Free

  • Networks Restricted

    No

  • Websites Blocked

    No

  • Pro-government Commentators

    No

  • Users Arrested

    No