Aussie internet firms get 6 months to draft online child-safety rules

Aussie internet firms get 6 months to draft online child-safety rules is profiled by BTW Media because published evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• Australia is giving the Internet industry six months to come up with an enforceable regulation detailing how it will protect children at an online security level.
• The monitoring code should set standards for how app stores, websites including porn and dating sites, search engines, social media platforms, chat services and even multiplayer gaming platforms check whether content is appropriate for users.

OUR TAKE
Children’s exposure to violent and extreme pornography is a major concern for many parents and carers, and this online child safety rule may play a key protective role.
-Tuna Tu, BTW reporter

What happened

Australia is giving the Internet industry six months to come up with an enforceable regulation detailing how it will stop children from seeing pornography and other inappropriate material online or face regulations imposed on it, the regulator said on Tuesday.

The e-Safety Commissioner said it wrote to members of the online industry asking for a plan by October 3 on how they plan to protect minors from seeing their high-impact material until it is ready, which also includes topics such as suicide and eating disorders.

The commissioner said the code should set standards for how app stores, websites including porn and dating sites, search engines, social media platforms, chat services and even multiplayer gaming platforms check whether content is appropriate for users.

Also read: Australia to launch own spot bitcoin ETF in 2 months

Why it’s important

The demand begins the second phase of an industry code overseen by the regulator, which previously approved code covering how Internet companies can block the spread of terrorist or child sexual exploitation content.

Measures covered by regulations to protect children from pornography could include age verification, default parental controls and software that obfuscates or filters unwanted pornography, the regulator said.