Australia has given the internet industry a six-month deadline to create an enforceable code to prevent children from accessing pornography and other inappropriate online content, or face regulatory imposition, according to a statement from the eSafety Commissioner.
The eSafety Commissioner announced that it had contacted members of the online industry, demanding a comprehensive plan by October 3. This plan should outline how they intend to protect minors from exposure to high-impact material, including themes of suicide and eating disorders. Australia has more than 23 million internet users.
The proposed code must establish standards for app stores, websites (including pornography and dating sites), search engines, social media platforms, chat services, and multi-player gaming platforms to ensure content suitability for users, the commissioner stated.
“Kids’ exposure to violent and extreme pornography is a major concern for many parents and carers, and they have a key role to play,” said Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in a statement. “But it can’t all be on them. We also need industry to play their part by putting in some effective barriers.”
This initiative marks the second phase of industry codes overseen by the regulator, following previously endorsed codes aimed at preventing the spread of terrorism and child sexual exploitation content. The new measures for protecting children from pornography could include age verification, default parental controls, and software that blurs or filters unwanted sexual content, Reuters news report said.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the company’s intention to work closely with the industry on the new code.
Similarly, a spokesperson for Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, stated that the company would continue to engage constructively with the eSafety Commissioner.
Representatives from X (formerly Twitter) and Apple were not immediately available for comment.
Leading pornography websites like Pornhub.com, xnxx.com and Xvideos.com were not available for comments.
Pornhub.com is the leading adult content and pornographic website for global uses, as it averaged around 10.8 billion monthly visits. Xvideos ranked second, with 7.27 billion monthly visits, while xnxx ranked third, averaging around 3.4 billion visits on a monthly basis.
A spokesperson for DIGI, an industry body representing most large internet companies and involved in the first round of codes, expressed eagerness to continue its collaboration with the government and the eSafety Commissioner.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
