The Australian government said Tuesday it will prohibit doxxing, the malicious and non-consensual release online of an individual’s personal or identifying information, after pro-Palestinian activists published personal details of hundreds of Jewish people in the country.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish, said the proposed laws would involve issuing take-down notices to social media platforms and imposing fines.

The government’s proposal comes in response to news reports last week revealing that pro-Palestinian activists had published the names, images, professions and social media accounts of Jewish people working in academia and the creative industries.

Pro-Palestinian activists distributed a nearly 900-page transcript leaked from a private WhatsApp group created last year by Jewish writers, artists, musicians and academics, Nine Entertainment reported. The transcript was accompanied by a spreadsheet of the names and other personal details of almost 600 people who are allegedly members of the group.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the proposed laws would involve issuing take-down notices to social media platforms and imposing fines. (Getty Images)

“We look forward to working with the government to ensure the full extent of the harm caused is understood and that the new laws effectively protect Australians from this shameful and dangerous practice,” council president Daniel Aghion said.

Monash University cybersecurity expert Nigel Phair praised the idea of a law prohibiting doxxing, although questioned how it could be enforced.

“It’s really difficult for policing agencies to police such laws when, really, they just don’t get the access to the data. Really, it’s the social media companies who bear the responsibility,” Phair told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“Our law enforcement agencies, dare I say, are already swamped with online investigations with the amount of crime that we have online. Adding this to it without any additional resources and the really integrated work with the social media platforms — it just won’t do much,” Phair added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.