Regulating Online Harms (LAWS90312)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
September
Teaching staff:
Allison Holmes (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | September |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Online platforms are under increasing amounts of scrutiny, with states increasingly seeking to regulate the digital sphere. Online harms are a key target of these legislative interventions and pose unique challenges in the regulation of online content. Campaigns of disinformation and manipulation have plagued democratic elections, instances of ‘fake news’ have caused harm to public health, charities and governments alike have struggled to deal with the increase in online violence and abuse, and technologies pose new methods for bullying and harassment.
However, regulating harmful content online is not a straightforward task. The global nature of the internet, the relative dominance of platforms, the volumes of content posted, and the complex and disparate nature of the different types of harm has made it difficult to develop effective regulatory frameworks. Regulatory approaches must be balanced against fundamental rights such as the right to freedom of expression and other policy interests, such as promoting competition and protecting data privacy.
This subject will enable you to develop a critical understanding of the framework of laws regulating online harms, considering legal, policy, social, and ethical interventions. The subject will look at several overseas jurisdictions to assess wider patterns in online harms regulation and consider future developments, both in Australia and around the globe.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- The development of online harms regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions including Australia, the UK, EU, USA, and Singapore.
- The responsibilities of private actors in the regulation of online harm.
- Key techniques which are mobilised to address harmful and illegal content, including content moderation and the use of algorithmic recommender systems.
- Challenges to the regulation of online harms presented by technologies such as encryption and age verification.
- How the law distinguishes between illegal and harmful content.
- How breaches of online harms regulation are enforced and what sanctions may result.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject should be able to:
- Critically evaluate the development of the discourse around online harms and situate this within wider social, political, and ethical debates concerning the regulation of technologies.
- Analyse the central tensions and debates in relation to online harms, evaluating the role of the State, private actors, individuals, and civil society respectively.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relative strength of competing regulatory and policy approaches governing online harms and emergent legal frameworks.
- Apply the emerging legal frameworks for regulating online harms and anticipate and understand future developments in this area of law.
Generic skills
- Have an advanced understanding of both law and policy, along with the characteristics of new technological advances, that allows for the communication of sophisticated responses to the complex questions raised by these developments.
- Demonstrate a comprehensive ability to carry out independent further research using interdisciplinary materials informing a sustained and detailed argument.
- Summarise detailed and complex bodies of information concisely and accurately and appropriately formulate and defend an argument in a manner suitable to a diverse range of audiences.
- Demonstrate strong oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught at an advanced graduate level and requires a thorough background in common law. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal practitioners, learners and researchers.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Class Participation | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Group in-class presentation
| During the teaching period | 15% |
Research Paper on topic to be agreed with the subject coordinator
| 29 October 2025 | 75% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- September
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 6 August 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check on the pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 3 September 2025 to 9 September 2025 Last self-enrol date 11 August 2025 Census date 5 September 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 17 October 2025 Assessment period ends 21 November 2025 September contact information
Teaching staff:
Allison Holmes (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025