On 7 September 2017 the Senate referred the below matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 29 November 2017. On 19 October 2017 the Senate extended the committee's reporting date to the last sitting day in March 2018 (scheduled for 28 March 2018).

The adequacy of existing offences in the Commonwealth Criminal Code and of state and territory criminal laws to capture cyberbullying, including: 

1. the broadcasting of assaults and other crimes via social media platforms;
2. the application of section 474.17 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code ‘Using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence’, and the adequacy of the penalty, particularly where the victim of cyberbullying has self-harmed or taken their own life;
3. the adequacy of the policies, procedures and practices of social media platforms in preventing and addressing cyberbullying;
4. other measures used to combat cyberbullying predominantly between school children and young people; and
5. any other related matter.