European Union: European Commission, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, and UK's Ofcom held first meeting of cooperation group on age assurance under joint communication

On 3 February 2026, the European Commission, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, and the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) held the first meeting of their trilateral technical cooperation group on age assurance to discuss the implementation of Australia’s social media age restrictions. The meeting followed the joint press communication signed in November 2025 under administrative arrangements, through which the three regulators committed to advancing cooperation on child safety on online platforms. During the meeting, the eSafety Commissioner shared updates on the enforcement of Australia’s age restrictions, while the European Commission and Ofcom presented their respective regulatory and policy work on age-assurance measures for the protection of minors online. The cooperation group aims to examine the interoperability and robustness of age-assurance solutions, broader technological developments, and methods for strengthening the technical evidence base, including support for independent research. The three regulators plan to continue regular exchanges throughout 2026 to promote the deployment of effective, safe, and privacy-preserving age-assurance measures to protect children online.