Australia Implements Age Verification for Search Engines

[chainsniff]

Starting Dec. 27, Australians using search engines like Google must verify their age. The new eSafety rules require methods such as photo ID, face scanning, credit cards, digital IDs, parental consent, or third-party verification.

Accounts suspected to be under 18 will have strict content filters by default, and unsafe content like pornography or graphic violence must be blocked. Companies must also provide mechanisms to report violations.

Privacy advocates warn this could mark a slippery slope toward reduced online anonymity and restricted free speech.

[JanEmil]

Sounds complicated for nothing