eSafety has published regulatory guidance ahead of the commencement of new industry codes requiring online services to protect children from exposure to age-inappropriate content like pornography, high-impact violence and material which promotes self-harm, suicide and disordered eating.
The industry-drafted Age-Restricted Material Codes apply to online service providers like app stores, social media services, equipment providers, online pornography services, and generative AI services.
The Guidance has been published ahead of the first tranche of Age-Restricted Material Codes commencing on 27 December, including the code which applies to search engine services.
Under the new rules, as well as protecting children from exposure to harmful age-inappropriate content, search engines will also be required to redirect Australians seeking information related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders to appropriate mental health support services.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said more young people were unintentionally encountering age-inappropriate content at a young age.
"We know this is already happening to kids from our own research, with 1 in 3 young people telling us that their first encounter with pornography was before the age of 13 and this exposure was 'frequent, accidental, unavoidable and unwelcome' with many describing this exposure as being disturbing and 'in your face'.
"We know that a high proportion of this accidental exposure happens through search engines as the primary gateway to harmful content, and once a child sees a sexually violent video, for instance maybe of a man aggressively choking a woman during sex, they can't cognitively process, let alone unsee that content.
"From 27 December, search engines have an obligation to blur image results of online pornography and extreme violence to protect children from this incidental exposure, much the same way safe search mode already operates on services like Google and Bing when enabled.
"And one of the most crucial requirements under the code will be automatic redirects to mental health support services for searches related to suicide, self-harm or eating disorders. These are important societal innovations that will provide greater protections for all Australians, not just children, who don't wish to see "lawful but awful" content.
"It gives me some comfort that if there is an Australian child out there thinking about taking their own life, that thanks to these codes vulnerable kids won't be sent down harmful rabbit holes or to specific information about lethal methods, but will now be directed to professionals who can help and support them.
"If this change saves even one life, as far as I'm concerned, I believe it's worth the minor inconvenience this might cause some Australian adults. Suicide devastatingly reverberates across families and communities, and represents a point of no return.
"But let me be clear, what this code won't do is require Australians to have an account to search the internet, or notify the government you are searching for porn.
"And while certain images of pornography or extreme violent material in search results might be blurred, adults who wish to view that content can still click through to see it if they choose.
"Again, this is about protecting our kids from accidental exposure to material they will never be able to unsee."
eSafety's regulatory guidance covers both the new codes coming into effect which apply to Age-Restricted Material, and the pre-existing Unlawful Material Codes and Standards, which tackle the worst-of-the-worst unlawful online material including child sexual exploitation and abuse material as well as pro-terror content.
The Age-Restricted Material Codes will complement the upcoming social media minimum age obligations set to commence on 10 December.
The codes were developed by industry and followed public consultation after eSafety's July 2024 formal notices for the online industry to develop stronger protections for children.
