Australia forces porn sites to block under-18s

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Australia’s online regulator warned porn websites they must block under-18s from Monday under sweeping new restrictions to protect children.

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Some sites in Australia had already barred non-members on Friday and were refusing new registrations, days before being obliged to use age verification technology to keep out underage users.

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The new rules expand Australia’s online child safety measures following its world-leading December 10 ban on children under 16 joining social media platforms.

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The crackdown restricts child access to “age-inappropriate content” including pornography, high-impact violence, suicide and eating disorders.

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It covers porn websites, search engines, app stores, gaming providers and generative AI systems, including chatbots.

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“Make no mistake, where we see failures or foot-dragging, we will hold companies to account,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday.

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Failure to comply can bring penalties of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$35 million) per breach.

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“Users will be asked to confirm their age when accessing age-restricted material on pornography websites and services,” eSafety said.

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“Clicking a button that says ‘I am 18 years or older’ is no longer sufficient. This is consistent with similar efforts being implemented internationally,” it said.

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– New safeguards –

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Inman Grant said society had long agreed that age barriers were needed to protect children from harm.

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“We don’t allow children to walk into bars or bottle shops, adult stores or casinos, but when it comes to online spaces where they are spending a lot of their time, there are no such safeguards,” she said in a statement.

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“But that changes for Australian kids.”

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The regulator said industry would be obliged to apply consistent standards across their services so children are not accidentally exposed to harmful content.

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Under the changes, AI companion chatbots capable of generating sexually explicit, violent or self-harm material must confirm users’ ages.

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App stores and online gaming sites are also required to block under-18s from adult-only content.

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People using a search engine without logging in, for example to a Google account, will have results blurred by default for results containing pornography and high-impact violence.

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For users entering searches related to suicide or eating disorders, the first results will be a referral to appropriate mental health support services.

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The regulator said it would monitor and assess adherence to the rules and would take enforcement action against systemic non-compliance.

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“No piece of regulation will eliminate all risks and harms all at once, but these codes create meaningful protections for children across the tech ecosystem,” Inman Grant said.

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“The government’s commitment to implementing a digital duty of care will also further strengthen protections in the future.”

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AFP

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