Register here

Thu., 22 August 2019, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm AEST
Deakin Downtown, 727 Collins Street, Tower 2, level 12, Melbourne

This event marks the launch of the ACCAN-funded report, The Consumer Spyware Industry: An Australian-Based Analysis of the Threats of Consumer Spyware, co-authored by Deakin University academics, Dr Adam Molnar and Dr Diarmaid Harkin. Invasive tools of surveillance known as ‘spyware’ are readily available to general consumers and can be used for many abusive and malicious purposes. This event reports on the findings of research into the consumer spyware industry that unpacks the threats that exist from commercially available spyware. Incorporating market analysis, technical analysis, and legal analysis, the threat of spyware is outlined, with particular focus placed on its implications for family and domestic violence.

This event includes a presentation by Dr Diarmaid Harkin and will be followed by a short panel discussion.

Speaker:

• Dr Diarmaid Harkin, co-author of the report, and Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Deakin University

Panellists:

• Ms Karen Bentley, National Director for the Safety Net Australia Project, Women’s Services Network (WESNET)
• Ms Rosalie O’Neale, Manager eSafety Women, The Office of the eSafety Commissioner
• Ms Lilly Ryan, Board Member, Digital Rights Watch

Light refreshments to follow.

This event is proudly supported by the Deakin Science and Society Network. You can get a preview of some of Dr Diarmaid Harkin’s other research into debugging equipment for victims of domestic violence in this SSN Spotlight video.