Australia Enforces Age Checks on Google to Protect Kids from Adult Content

Starting late in 2025, Australia decided that using Google or Microsoft search engines will be required to check the user’s age. This recent demand is comprehended by the government laws, which have the purpose of protecting kids from dangerous online content. If any user logs into their social media accounts, all these platforms should apprehend the age and implement strict scrutiny for safety measurements by default, particularly if the user is identified as a minor. 

Even Google and Microsoft, which are the most dominant search providers in the country, have pushed to follow such measurements. Furthermore, search engines must restrict the access of adult content for minors either by refining it completely or blurring it when the age verification process is not possible, so young users won’t log in their accounts. 

Such rules resonate with Australia’s huge efforts to pass the regulations for kids’ online activity. In November 2024, the amendment that states that users under 16 will be restricted from using the social media accounts will also take effect around the same time. 

While the goals are to protect minors, critics raise concerns. Experts in digital privacy and free speech support shielding children but question the effectiveness of age checks. VPNs can bypass local rules, and foreign sites may ignore Australian laws. Still, the country is moving ahead, mirroring the UK’s approach to online content regulation.