Australia: Global Online Safety Regulators Network adopted position statement on age assurance and online safety regulation

On 22 January 2026, the Global Online Safety Regulators Network (GOSRN) adopted the position statement on age assurance and online safety regulation to establish a common international approach to protecting children online. The statement aims to foster regulatory coherence and coordination among member authorities, ensuring that online service providers implement effective measures to prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate content and risky functionalities. The position statement defines age assurance as an umbrella term encompassing age estimation, which provides an approximate determination of a user's age, and age verification, which confirms an exact age through external data sources such as photo identification documents. The GOSRN outlines six overarching principles for age assurance technologies. These include accuracy, robustness, reliability, proportionality, fairness, and non-intrusiveness. These principles are designed to allow for flexibility and innovation while ensuring solutions are accessible and interoperable across different technological systems. Under the statement, the GOSRN commits to monitoring the implementation of age assurance requirements and evaluating the risks of circumvention by users. The network intends to collaborate with data protection authorities to ensure that age assurance methods remain consistent with privacy requirements and applicable data protection laws. Additionally, the statement prioritises the development of digital parenting tools and evidence-sharing on privacy-enhancing technologies. By communicating shared expectations to the industry, the GOSRN seeks to enhance public trust and empower users to make informed decisions regarding their engagement with age assurance technologies.