Australia: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner closes consultation on Privacy (Children's Online Privacy) Code 2026 including age verification requirement

On 5 June 2026, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) closes its consultation on the exposure draft of the Privacy (Children's Online Privacy) Code 2026. The Code would apply to providers of social media services, relevant electronic services and designated internet services that are likely to be accessed by children or are primarily concerned with the activities of children, under the Privacy Act 1988. The Code would introduce a consent framework under which children aged 15 and above could provide consent independently, while parental consent would be required for children under 15. In particular, it would oblige entities to take reasonable steps to establish the age of end-users, with the level of assurance required proportionate to the risk of harm arising from the collection, use or disclosure of the end-user's personal information. An entity would not be required to take such steps if it applies the privacy protections in the Code to all end-users regardless of age. Sensitive information collected for the purposes of complying with the age assurance requirement would be required to be destroyed as soon as practicable once no longer needed for that purpose. The age assurance obligation would not apply retrospectively to personal information collected before the Code's commencement. Following the consultation period, the OAIC aims to register the Code by 10 December 2026.