Privacy Commissioner John Edwards will be given the power to investigate such breaches of personal privacy, with victims eligible for compensation of up to $200,000.

Under changes to the Privacy Act, boasting about sexual conquests online as alleged in the Roast Busters case, could lead to civil action against those who post offensive images without the permission of those who feature.

It will also apply to what is known as revenge porn.

"Images that are taken by consent between a couple while they're in a relationship being posted to the wider world in order to offend or humiliate one of the parties," says Mr Edwards.  

Netsafe executive Martin Cocker says if those people who posted the material were the owners of the material there's no legal recourse against them at the moment.

The changes are part of a suite of reforms to combat digital bullying.

Read more here.