Australia called it a “common sense” measure that extends real-life protections for children into the digital realm.
After introducing some of the world’s toughest restrictions on children’s social media use, Australia is widening its push to make the internet safer for young users by targeting mature video games, pornography, and even artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.
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Australia’s so-called Age-Restricted Material Codes require online platforms to verify the age of any user trying to access content that could be inappropriate for children. This includes high-impact violence, pornography, self-harm, suicide or disordered eating.
The new legislation will come into force this week.
In practical terms, age verification will now be required across a wide range of online services: app store purchases, video games rated 18+, pornography websites, and search engines.
The regulations will make sure that a child gets the help they need if looking for self-harm or suicide content, said Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s e-safety commissioner.
“Any time a child searches for suicide or self-harm content, the first result they will see is a helpline, not a harmful online rabbit hole,” Grant said in a statement.
She described the legislation as a “common-sense measure” that extends protections used in the physical world to the digital one.
“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,” Grant said.
The new rules will also apply to chatbots that are able to generate sexual or graphic content. Platforms that generate elicit AI material must confirm that users are at least 18 years old either when users log in or when they send a request for that type of content.
The move comes after several lawsuits in the United States alleging that teenagers have committed suicide or self-harm after the recommendations of their AI chatbots.
Australia has already taken a leading role in regulating young people’s online access. In December, it became the first country in the world to restrict social media accounts for children under 16.
It means minors can no longer create their own accounts on platforms such as Facebook, X, Threads, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Reddit, and Google-owned YouTube, though they can still view some content without logging in.
Since then, many countries have started debating whether they should put in place similar measures, including the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Finland, and Germany.
