Social media giants Facebook and Instagram have told a parliamentary inquiry they are strongly opposed to any tightening of the laws on cyber bullying, saying prevention is better than cure.
The two platforms were invited to respond to the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee, which is looking at whether existing laws go far enough to punish perpetrators of cyber bullying.
The inquiry was prompted by the death of 13-year-old Adelaide schoolgirl Libby Bell.
The year 8 student took her life in August after what her family alleges was years of cyber bullying by her peers online and at school.
Facebook's director of policy for Australia and New Zealand, Mia Garlick, told the committee, "We would encourage the committee to consider the suitability of criminal laws to tackle cyber bullying as a last resort only.
"Industry, government and the community should be focused on prevention and resolutions that are less than criminal punishments.
"Criminal sanctions should, based on our experience and the feedback from the child safety experts that we work with, only be used when all other solutions have proven to be unsuccessful."
Facebook receives "millions of reports" about online safety every week, its committee submission said, and tried to respond to reports of harm and harassment from young people within 24 hours.
It stressed "real people" with "extensive training" handled reports of harm and harassment, although it did not provide any examples of what type of action the company took in response.
The photo-sharing service Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, also opposed any attempts to toughen sanctions for cyber bullies.
The Instagram submission said it made a point of encouraging its users to be "kind", and said the social media industry had a "strong commitment" to dealing with online harassment and bullying.
Because of this, Instagram said, it believed there should be no changes to existing laws.
Nick Xenophon Team senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore, who proposed the inquiry, said parents frequently told her more action needed to be taken to protect children from online bullying.
"People keep saying, 'When we were at school the bullying stopped at the school gate, but now it's following children home,' " Senator Kakoschke-Moore told Fairfax Media when the inquiry was established.
"When you're seeing orchestrated campaigns, I think we need to investigate whether that conduct needs to be criminalised."
South Australia's Police Commissioner, Grant Stevens, said in August the state government should consider strengthening legislation to make it easier to prosecute bullies, following the death of Libby.
Victoria introduced Brodie's Law in 2011, five years after 19-year-old Melbourne waitress Brodie Panlock??? ended her life amid humiliating and intimidating bullying by her co-workers.
In the first five years since the law's inception, almost 60 people were charged with more than 140 bullying offences.
Ms Panlock's parents campaigned for the legal change after learning the people who terrorised their daughter could only be convicted under occupational health and safety laws, which allowed for fines but no jail time.
If you are troubled by this report, experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit lifeline.org.au or beyondblue.org.au
