Who’s who in Australian online safety
5 min readReviewed October 2026 · Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team
In short
- Abuse or harmful content → eSafety. Cybercrime → ReportCyber. Scams → Scamwatch.
- Privacy and data breaches → OAIC. Child exploitation → ACCCE. Danger → 000.
- Hurt and need a recovery plan → IDCARE (1800 595 160), free.
Australia has genuinely world-class online safety institutions — the problem is there are so many of them that people give up before finding the right door. This is the map. Bookmark it; better yet, use our Where do I report this? tool and skip the memorising.
| Body | What it is | Contact it for |
|---|---|---|
| eSafety Commissioner | Independent regulator, educator and coordinator for online safety (Online Safety Act 2021) | Cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, illegal content — with legal removal powers |
| Scamwatch (ACCC / National Anti-Scam Centre) | Scam intelligence and disruption | Reporting any scam; checking current scam alerts |
| ReportCyber (ASD’s ACSC) | National cybercrime reporting portal | Identity theft, online fraud, hacked accounts — triaged to police |
| ACSC (Australian Cyber Security Centre) | Government technical cyber authority | Protective advice, threat alerts, business guidance at cyber.gov.au |
| OAIC | Privacy and information regulator | Privacy complaints, data breach notifications |
| ACCCE (AFP) | Child exploitation investigations | Online grooming, child abuse material — anonymous reports accepted |
| IDCARE | National identity & cyber support service (NGO) | Free recovery plans after scams, identity theft, account takeover: 1800 595 160 |
| State/territory police | Law enforcement | Crimes, threats, and anything where someone’s in danger — 000 in emergencies |
The pattern underneath
- Harmful content and abusive people → eSafety (they can force removal).
- Crimes involving computers or identity → ReportCyber (they route to police).
- Money lost to deception → your bank first, then Scamwatch.
- Someone’s information mishandled → OAIC.
- Anything involving a child’s safety → ACCCE or 000.
- You, personally, picking up the pieces → IDCARE, Lifeline, Kids Helpline, 1800RESPECT.
Still not sure?
That’s exactly why we built the report decision tree — answer three questions and it names the agency and deep-links the official form. When in doubt, report to the closest fit: agencies refer matters between themselves, and one report is enough.
Common questions
Where to report this
Report to eSafety
Cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, and illegal or restricted online content.
Go to eSafety (leaves our site — official service)Report to ReportCyber
Cybercrime: identity theft, online fraud, hacked accounts or devices, ransomware and online threats.
Go to ReportCyber (leaves our site — official service)Report to Scamwatch
All types of scams — phishing, investment, romance, shopping, impersonation. Reports help track and disrupt scam activity.
Go to Scamwatch (leaves our site — official service)Report to OAIC
Privacy complaints and data breaches involving your personal information held by organisations or agencies.
Go to OAIC (leaves our site — official service)Official sources for this guide
- eSafety Commissioner (leaves our site — official service)
- cyber.gov.au (leaves our site — official service)
- Scamwatch (leaves our site — official service)
Reviewed October 2026 by Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team. Internet Safety Australia is independent and not a government website.