Australia’s online safety regulator has warned pornography websites that they must block access to users under 18 starting Monday, under sweeping new measures aimed at protecting children online.
The country’s internet watchdog, led by Julie Inman Grant, said platforms must introduce effective age-verification technology to prevent minors from accessing adult content.
Some websites had already begun restricting access on Friday, barring non-members and halting new registrations ahead of the deadline.
The rules form part of broader online child-safety reforms introduced after Australia passed a landmark ban on children under 16 joining social media platforms on December 10.
Authorities say the restrictions target access to “age-inappropriate content,” including pornography, extreme violence, suicide-related material and eating disorder content.
The regulations apply broadly across digital services, including porn websites, search engines, app stores, gaming providers and generative AI systems such as chatbots.
“Make no mistake, where we see failures or foot-dragging, we will hold companies to account,” Grant said in a statement on Friday.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about 35 million US dollars) per violation.
The regulator added that simply clicking a button claiming a user is over 18 will no longer be accepted, as stronger verification systems must now be used.
Grant said the changes bring online safety standards closer to real-world restrictions, noting that children are already barred from entering bars, casinos and adult stores.