Australia: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner opened public and industrial stakeholder consultation on Children’s Online Privacy Code under Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024

On 12 June 2025, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) opened a public consultation on the development of the Children’s Online Privacy Code, as required under the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024. The Code is being developed under section 26K of the Privacy Act 1988 and, once registered, will be binding on APP entities that operate services likely to be accessed by children. The consultation, open until 31 July 2025, invites submissions from industry, civil society, academia and the general public. This follows an earlier phase launched on 16 May 2025, which focused on engaging children, young people and parents through tailored resources such as worksheets and discussion guides to help shape the Code from a user-centred perspective. Issues include the scope of the Code, age-appropriate privacy protections, and how Australian Privacy Principles should be applied in the context of children’s personal information. The OAIC seeks feedback on age-based obligations, reasonable expectations of privacy, age assurance mechanisms, and the balance between parental involvement and children's privacy rights. The Code will apply to services such as social media, messaging, and online gaming platforms, and will address matters including data collection, consent, transparency and control. A draft version will be released in early 2026 for further consultation, with registration scheduled for 10 December 2026.