Report
Digital harms: consistency in definition, understanding and action
Concept paper
Daniel X. Harris, Nicola Henry, Edward Hurcombe, Piers Howe, David Micallef, Dana McKay, Philip Pond, Nicole Shackleton, Senuri Wijenayake, Xiangmin Zhou, Joel Humphries, Adnan Alamri, Rhyle Simcock
Publisher
Digital platforms
Digital communications
Internet governance
Regulatory reform
Harm reduction
Scams
Hate speech
Cyber safety
Online harassment
Online abuse
Disinformation and misinformation
Technology social aspects
Description
This paper examines the scale of digital harm, explains why current responses fall short and proposes reframing harm through a shared, multi‑sector, internationally relevant taxonomy. It argues such a framework is essential for effective reform and offers recommendations for governments, platforms, researchers and civil society to guide coordinated action and strengthen accountability across the digital ecosystem.
Digital harms include abuse, harassment, bullying, hate speech, disinformation, doxxing, image-based abuse, deepfakes, illicit promotion of harmful productions, scams and other adversarial practices.
Recommendations
- Develop a shared global taxonomy of digital harms.
- Ground definitions in injury and ecological harm.
- Use the taxonomy to drive prevention and education.
- Address the inter-platform and interjurisdictional reality of harm.
Publication Details
DOI:
10.60836/s2w0-vn39
Copyright:
RMIT University 2026
License type:
CC BY
Access Rights Type:
open
Post date:
16 Mar 2026
AI assisted cataloguing:
Yes
