Due to Australia’s first social networking related conviction occurring last month, now more than ever social media users need education on the potential damaging effects

of material posted on online platforms.

The study conducted primarily at the University of New South Wales in Kensington has revealed social media platforms are raising huge issues in

terms of privacy, copyright, employment, bullying and harassment

The Director of the Cyberspace Law and Policy Community at UNSW, Alana Maurushat believes cybercrime education should start at year one,

so young Australians can learn the responsibilities of posting material online

Alec Christie, a partner at law firm DLA Piper confirms a way to check if your content is suitable to be posted online is through the ‘front page test’. ‘If you are

going to go online and publish something online, you need to test it against would I be able to publish this on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald

tomorrow’.

David Vaile from the Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre from UNSW emphasises the importance for users of the Internet to understand that the

law applies to online platforms just as it applies in the traditional world. 'Because it’s not a physical thing, people just think it's just moving a file, it's

just posting a photograph’ Vaile explains.

Problems lie with Internet users as they are unaware of the definition of ‘indecent’. Alec Christie puts it simply ‘There are no hard and fast rules,

but it’s what would make you and I blush'.

Joanne, a Criminology student at the University of New South Wales has experienced cybercrime problems involving her brother, as he faces

bullying over Facebook. ‘He doesn’t know what to do, he just hates school now’.

Despite a Law Reform Commission Report being produced four years ago based on privacy concerns, no laws have been changed or altered with

regards to an individuals right to privacy which is affecting the legal systems ability to deal with cybercrime.