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Twitter move to help curb online abuse:

Twitter's first corporate presence in Australia will help curb the nation's growing online bullying problem, mental health organisation beyondblue says.
By Motherpedia with AAP
Date: January 14 2013
Editor Rating:
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Twitter, the US-based social media giant is expected to confirm plans to establish a new, full-time presence in Sydney as part of a move to ease tensions with State and Federal authorities.

Twitter has not had a full time presence in Australia since launching in 2006 - a source of major frustration for politicians and police who've been inundated with complaints about online bullying.

Speaking after a visit to Twitter's US headquarters on Friday, deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop said the move was "imminent".

"That's what they told us today - they'd be opening an office in Sydney," she told AAP.

"Facebook has a presence in Australia and it's clear Twitter is about to establish one."

Twitter did not immediately confirm the plans, but the move Down Under has been expected for some time. They were known to have started head-hunting and advertising for positions as early as August last year.

Any new corporate presence is likely to have a strong commercial motive for Twitter as it attempts to expand worldwide.

But it's also likely to streamline cooperation with authorities, who've previously asked social networking companies to help unmask anonymous online "trolls".

Beyondblue chief executive Kate Carnell said Twitter's move should help fight Australia's online bullying problem.

"Cyber bullying is going to be a major issue for beyondblue over the next 12 months because we're just getting so many more reports," she told AAP.

"Having a contact point in Australia will help at least with Twitter."

There were several high profile cases of online bullying in 2012, including rugby league star Robbie Farah who suffered abuse about his late mother.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy branded Twitter "arrogant" in September after he unsuccessfully tried to contact the company to discuss the Farah case and ways to combat online bullying.

"They just believe they don't have to take any notice of the Australian public, any notice of the Australian laws, and they think they can behave this arrogantly," he told Nine Network last year.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Senator Conroy had been liaising with social media companies for a long time about cyber bullying, trolls and some of the ugly, "very hurtful" comments on those sites.

Ms Gillard said she'd like social media companies to adopt policies that prevent "some of the extremes we have seen that have caused real harm".

Facebook increased its presence in Australia in 2011, hiring Mia Garlick, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to oversee its local operations.

Google also has corporate offices in Sydney.

* You can follow us on Twitter @www_motherpedia

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