Respond to online abuse or harmful content

Get help to remove content, prevent further contact and report online crimes to the police.

If you have concerns about your safety, call 000.

Collect evidence

Collect evidence of what happened and where, so you can get help to remove the harmful content. You can find out how to collect evidence on the eSafety website.

Report it

The table below will tell you where you can report the abuse or content.

What happened

Where to report it

Serious cyberbullying of a child, or adult cyber abuse.

Report it to the online service or platform used to send, post or share it. They can help remove the harmful content. If they don’t remove it, you can report it on the eSafety website.

Someone shared, or threatened to share, a nude or intimate image or video of you without your consent.

For help removing harmful content, report it on the eSafety website, unless someone is trying to blackmail you.

Someone is trying to blackmail you over nude or intimate images or videos of you.

Do not pay and do not send more images or videos. Stop all contact with the blackmailer.

If you’re under 18, report it on the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website.

If you’re 18 or older, report it to the online service or platform used to threaten you. If they don’t help, report it on the eSafety website. eSafety will then help remove the harmful content.

You saw harmful illegal online content such as:

  • material showing or encouraging child sexual abuse
  • terrorism
  • other extreme violence.

Report it on the eSafety website.

You can also report online crimes to the police through ReportCyber on the Australian Cyber Security Centre website.

Online child sexual exploitation

If a child is in immediate danger, call 000. 

You can report abuse and get support on the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website. If you prefer to stay anonymous, you can report on the Crime Stoppers website or call 1800 333 000.

Prevent further contact

After reporting online abuse or harmful content, you can take steps to prevent further contact. For example, you can use your account or device settings to ignore, mute or block the person. You can also update your privacy settings to limit who can contact you.

You may find it helpful to learn more about online risks and harms on the eSafety website. These links will take you away from myGov.

  • Cyberbullying

    If someone uses the internet to be mean to a child or young person so they feel bad or upset.

  • Adult cyber abuse

    If someone sends, posts or shares content intended to harm your mental or physical health.

  • Image-based abuse

    If someone shares, or threatens to share, an intimate image or video of you without your consent.

  • Illegal and restricted online content

    If you see content that shows or encourages child sexual abuse, terrorism or other extreme violence.

Help in more languages

These links will take you away from myGov.

Page last updated: 1 March 2024