Google warned at an Australian Senate hearing that a proposed online safety law could require it to block users under 18 from accessing Gmail and other everyday communication tools, CNA reported. The legislation, called the Digital Duty of Care, has passed the House of Representatives but still requires cross-party support to clear the Senate. Platforms that cannot show they are removing harmful content face fines of up to A$109 million.
The age-check concern stems from a section of the bill requiring platforms to verify ages where there is a risk of a child being exposed to pornography. Rachel Lord told the Senate committee that the age-assurance provision should be confined to services whose sole or primary purpose is distributing pornography, in order to make the measure more targeted and proportionate.
Concern was also raised that the bill removes privacy as a consideration when platforms evaluate compliance with the digital duty of care. Lord argued that privacy deserves explicit recognition as a right, noting concerns about intrusive oversight of private messages and stored files.
Representatives from Meta, TikTok and Snap also raised concerns at the hearing, warning that the bill could dampen online communications by giving regulators broad discretion to define harmful content or conduct. Several platforms argued that regulatory uncertainty created a risk they would remove more content than necessary to avoid large penalties. The Australian government argues that only comprehensive rules can deliver a safe internet.
If enacted, the law would replace the existing industry code framework used to oversee services including search engines and pornographic websites. Once the bill is passed and receives Royal Assent, affected services would have 12 months before its core requirements begin. Affected platforms would need to produce a written risk assessment covering content and design features no less than once every year.
If the bill passes the Senate unamended, Australian users under 18 could be blocked from accessing Gmail, private messaging services and file storage tools. Platforms operating in Australia may face pressure to verify the ages of all users, requiring collection of additional sensitive personal data from both minors and adults.
Reporting: CNA, iTnews, ACS Information Age, Yahoo Finance
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
