2025-08-27
The Senate has today voted to establish an inquiry into the Government's proposed social media age ban and search engine age verification codes following a motion by the Australian Greens. The inquiry will examine the privacy implications and effectiveness of the proposed measures.
The inquiry comes amid growing concerns that the proposed age verification system will require all Australians to provide personal data to access social media platforms and search engines, raising significant privacy and civil liberties questions.
The inquiry will soon begin accepting public submissions. Further details will be announced promptly.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge and Digital Rights Spokesperson said:
"This isn't just about kids - it's a national age verification system and identification system being sold as online safety for children.
"The age ban will force all Australians to hand over personal data to access social media and the verification codes will mean the same for search engines. Everybody will have to go through age-checking to make this work.
"Instead of the much promised digital duty of care, the Government is focusing on bans and codes that will encourage big tech to vacuum up everyone’s private information.
"The current approach risks driving young people away from safer regulated platforms and towards spaces where bullying and image-based abuse has no limits.
“This inquiry will examine what actually works globally and presents an opportunity for evidence-based policy that upholds fundamental human rights.
Greens Communications Spokesperson and Chair of the Environment and Communications Committee Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Trying to fix all the harms of social media and online platforms by simply banning under 16s from using them is never going to work. This inquiry is about continuing the conversation about how we keep all people safe online and holding the big tech platforms to account for protecting their users.”