Information Request on Supporting Evidence relating to an Asserted Definition
Happy New Year eSafety Commissioner and co!
I seek to make a formal request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 from eSafety related to any documents such as internal or external correspondence, briefings, minutes, memos, research, policies and manuals that played a role in shaping eSafety’s understanding and subsequent definition of “Cheese Pizza”, an alleged shorthand for “Child Pornography” covering the period beginning on the 1 July 2021 and ending on the date you confirm receipt of this FOI Request.
1. Any documents that reference the term "Cheese Pizza" or contributed to the asserted definition of the term.
2. Internal or external correspondence mentioning, discussing or contributed to the asserted definition of the term "Cheese Pizza".
3. Briefings, minutes, and memos that discuss or contributed to the asserted definition of the term "Cheese Pizza".
4. Research materials or studies that contributed to the asserted definition of the term "Cheese Pizza".
5. Policies or manuals that mention or provide guidance on the term "Cheese Pizza”
6. Internal Dictionaries or Glossary entries that mention or assert the definition of the term "Cheese Pizza".
This request has been prompted following the eSafety Commissioner's submission[1] to the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, which lacked supporting references regarding the phrase and its origins — with this definition being reiterated by Julie Inman Grant which featured in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald[2].
I believe this request is in the public interest as the phrase has an association with a widely known and debunked conspiracy theory[3]. Public confidence in the eSafety Commissioner’s office is paramount, and understanding the context surrounding this term contributes to transparency and trust.
Notes:
I am happy to receive documents in a digital (PDF) format.
To the extent my consent is relevant, I do not consent to redactions of documents pursuant to the provisions of s 22 of the FOI Act without further specific discussion, and my request should be taken to specifically include any matter within a document otherwise identified as within scope that the decision-maker considers as possibly redactable under s 22.
I do not anticipate this FOI to generate significant work or large volumes of documents, but I nevertheless understand I may be liable for fees in relation to this FOI request.
I thank you for your assistance, and anticipate your prompt response within the statutory timeframe.
Regards,
Eliza.
[1] eSafety Commissioner, Submission No 20 to Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, Parliament of Australia, Law Enforcement Capability in Relation to Child Exploitation (20 August 2021) 15[2]
[2] David Swan, ‘Australian Launches world-first crackdown on ‘deepfake’ porn’, The Sydney Morning Herald, (online 20 November 2023) <https://www.smh.com.au/technology/austra...> [8]
[3] Brian J. Holoyda, ‘QAnon: A Modern Conspiracy Theory and the Assessment of its Believers’, The Journal of The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, (online January 2022) <https://jaapl.org/content/early/2022/01/...>
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OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Ms Sorensen
I am writing to acknowledge your request of 1 January 2024 under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).
The FOI Act allows 30 days for processing your request. This time period
may be extended for charges and third party consultation. We will let you
know if this occurs.
I note your instructions not to presume material to be out of scope under
section 22. However, I infer from your email that the names and personal
information of public servants are not relevant to your request. Please
confirm whether you agree for us to redact this information on relevance
grounds pursuant to section 22 of the FOI Act.
With respect to the period of your request, the FOI Act provides a right
of access to documents of an agency at the time of the request.
Accordingly, only documents between 1 July 2021 and 1 January 2024 will be
captured.
I will contact you at this email address unless you advise otherwise. Any
documents released to you as part of this decision will be published on
our disclosure log unless one of the relevant exceptions apply. Further
information about the FOI Act, including eSafety’s publication
obligations, is available on our website at
[1]https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/corp....
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
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eSafety acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and
to Elders past, present and emerging.
Dear FOI Coordinator,
Many thanks for your response, I confirm that I understand that the names and personal
information of public servants are not relevant to my request.
In future correspondence, I would kindly ask that you use 'Mx' if you must use a title in your responses.
Regards,
Eliza Sorensen
OFFICIAL
Dear Mx Sorensen
Please find a notice of third-party consultation attached.
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
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eSafety acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and
to Elders past, present and emerging.
OFFICIAL
Dear Mx Sorensen
I am writing to consult with you about your request and proposed use of
section 22 of the FOI Act.
Our searches have uncovered a number of PowerPoint presentations
concerning eSafety matters and practice. These presentations include, but
do not expand in any way upon, the term 'cheese pizza' as used in the
context of your request.
These presentations are relatively lengthy (each running to 50-60 slides)
and contain broadly the same material from version to version. Only two
slides in each version of the presentation refer or relate to the search
term. These slides are substantively the same in every version of the
presentation, with only minor formatting variations. Reviewing and
preparing every version of the full presentation for release may lead to
an unreasonable diversion of eSafety resources, particularly noting that
the vast majority of this material is only in scope as part of a document
that ‘references’ the search term, but is otherwise irrelevant to your
request.
Please advise whether you agree for eSafety to release one copy of the
slides that are relevant to your request (i.e. exempting the remainder of
the presentation under section 22), to avoid unnecessary duplication and
ensure that only relevant material is released.
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
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eSafety acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and
to Elders past, present and emerging.
Dear FOI Coordinator
Thank you for your email.
I agree to with your proposal to release only one copy of the slides.
Regards,
Eliza Sorensen
OFFICIAL
Dear Mx Sorensen
I attach a decision and statement of reasons for your FOI request of 1
January 2024, along with a statement of your review rights.
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
[1]eSafety logo Email-Signautre
[2]Email-Footers icons3[3]esafety.gov.au
[4]Email-Footers iconsT[5]Email-Footers iconsF[6]Email-Footers iconsL
eSafety acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and
to Elders past, present and emerging.