Australia: Office of the eSafety Commissioner opened consultation on age verification requirement for social media under Online Safety Act

On 5 May 2025, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) opened a consultation to inform the development of regulatory guidelines on the implementation of social media age restrictions for children under 16, in accordance with the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which requires age-restricted social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating accounts. The consultation is seeking information from the Australian community, experts, online service providers, children and young people, and organisations representing parents and carers. It focuses on principles and methods for age assurance, possible circumvention, privacy and data protection considerations, communication strategies for young people, parents, and educators, account management, appeals, and compliance frameworks.