Australia Orders Major Gaming Platforms to Disclose Child Safety Measures
The eSafety Commission stated on Wednesday that the notices require companies to provide detailed explanations of how they identify, prevent, and respond to risks such as grooming, cyberbullying, online hate speech, and radicalization. Platforms must also clarify whether their systems comply with Australia’s Basic Online Safety Expectations.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said online gaming environments are often an initial point of contact between offenders and children, who are then frequently moved to private messaging platforms.
She noted that “Gaming platforms are amongst the online spaces most heavily used by Australian children,” adding that roughly nine in 10 children between the ages of 8 and 17 participate in online gaming.
She further warned that offenders deliberately target minors, while extremist content and violent propaganda can be embedded within gaming environments, increasing risks of radicalization and harm.
The regulator stressed that compliance with the notices is mandatory. Failure to comply could result in significant financial penalties, including fines of up to AUD $825,000 (around $544,500) per day for non-compliance, and up to AUD $49.5 million (approximately $32.67 million) per individual breach under Australia’s online safety legislation.
Australia has already taken a strict regulatory approach to digital safety. Last year, it became the first country to prohibit social media accounts for users under the age of 16.
Following Australia’s policy shift, several other countries have reportedly begun exploring similar restrictions, citing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health, cognitive development, and education.
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