Australia Pushes Digital Duty of Care Rules as Tech Harms Mount

Australia is taking a different route than the United States when it comes to reining in the harms that digital platforms can cause. Rather than waiting for courts and lawsuits to set the boundaries, lawmakers there are advancing a “digital duty of care” framework that would make online services legally responsible for protecting users from foreseeable harm.

The contrast with the US approach is striking. American regulators have largely leaned on litigation and piecemeal enforcement, while Australia has shown a steady preference for proactive governance. That pattern is now extending into the digital space, where the duty of care concept would shift the burden onto platforms rather than victims.

For the electric vehicle world, the stakes are not abstract. Modern EVs are increasingly software-defined machines, with connected infotainment systems, over-the-air updates, and apps that collect driving data. A duty of care standard could shape how automakers handle cybersecurity, data privacy, and the safety of features pushed remotely to vehicles already on the road.