Should Australia demand rigorous online age verification?
Video clip at right: On May 1, 2024, Sky News televised an interview with Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman in which he welcomed the trial of online age verification in Australia.
The Issue at a Glance
What they said...'Young adults should not be coached in disrespect [for women] or misogyny by online influencers ... I understand parents want to protect their kids from harmful material online'
Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese
'No one has devised a mandatory age verification system that isn't a deep affront to civil liberties, a huge privacy threat and creates a vast trove of data for identity thieves...'
Crikey commentator, Bernard Keane
The Issue at a Glance
On May 1, 2024, the Australian National Cabinet (comprised of all state premiers and the federal prime minister) recommended a trial of technologies that would allow online pornography providers to verify the age of those accessing their material.
This is one of several measures intended to reduce the incidence of violence against women in Australia. Exposure to pornography is considered a contributory factor in encouraging violence against women.
A year before, in March 2023, the Australian eSafety Commissioner submitted a 'roadmap' on online age verification to the Australian Government. It proposed that any online service provider that poses a risk of exposing children to pornography should adopt measures to prevent children gaining access.
The proposed trial of possible technologies to achieve this did not go ahead. Australia's growing concern regarding the murders and assaults against women has strengthened interest in online age verification. The effectiveness of the technologies involved, and their possible adverse side effects remain subjects of debate.