Australia's eSafety Commissioner Pushes for Comprehensive Child Protection Codes

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has given major tech platforms six months to develop enforceable codes to protect children from harmful online content. This includes measures like Safe Search for search engines, parental controls, and age verification technology. Collaboration between tech giants is essential for the success of these protective measures.

Melbourne, Jul 3 (The Conversation) - Australia's eSafety Commissioner has issued a directive to major tech platforms, giving them six months to establish enforceable codes aimed at shielding children from online pornography and high-impact content like self-harm.

This follows the federal government's ongoing trial of age assurance technology, designed to stop children from accessing inappropriate content. Research shows the average age children encounter online pornography is 13, with some stumbling upon it much earlier.

The challenge lies in implementing secure and reliable age verification methods. Currently, the most dependable solutions involve government-issued IDs, but privacy concerns remain a significant barrier. The new codes will cover a broad range of digital platforms, including search engines, apps, and social media sites, and may require unprecedented cooperation among tech giants like Google, Apple, and Meta to achieve comprehensive online child protection.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)