Australia Enforces Age ID Rules as EU Pushes Ban on Online Anonymity
Australia's kicking off new online safety rules that force search engines to verify user ages & clean up the nasty stuff.
Quick overview
- Australia has implemented new online safety rules requiring search engines to verify user ages and filter harmful content for users under 18.
- Critics argue that these measures amount to unnecessary surveillance, with concerns about the implications of requiring ID for search engine access.
- Ireland plans to advocate for similar identity verification measures at the EU level, aiming to tackle anonymous accounts and enforce age-of-consent laws more effectively.
- The contrasting approaches between countries enforcing stricter online controls and those prioritizing free speech highlight a growing global divide.
Australia’s kicking off new online safety rules that force search engines to verify user ages & clean up the nasty stuff. The laws, put in place by the eSafety Commissioner, went live on Dec 27th, giving companies six months to get their acts together.
Under these new rules, services like Google have to use strict filters as the default for anyone under 18. There are loads of ways to verify user ages – think Government ID, facial scans, credit cards, and even getting consent from parents. Plus, companies need to sort out reporting systems and block any search results that show up with porn or graphic violence. The idea is to protect the kids and make sure all the big players do it the same way.
But critics are saying that this is all just a bunch of surveillance nonsense. Jason Bassler, co-founder of The Free Thought Project, reckons Australians are being asked to hand over their ID to use a search engine, which he says is a slippery slope for the rest of the world.
Starting 2 days ago, Australians are now required to upload their ID to use a search engine.
Digital ID. Age checks. Biometric gateways.
Australia is the beta test for a world where freedom and privacy quietly die… and it won't stop there. pic.twitter.com/LOogtPxUoQ
— Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) December 29, 2025
Ireland Pushes EU Identity Rules
Ireland is preparing to push similar ideas at the EU level once it takes the EU Council presidency in 2026. Their Deputy Prime Minister, Simon Harris, says that enforcing their digital age-of-consent law (16) just isn’t doing the trick. He wants the EU to get on board and start tackling anonymous accounts and other bot activity.
They want to make social media users verify their identities before posting & say that anonymity is what’s driving much of the abuse and misinformation. Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan is expected to take the lead on this next year.
Some of the key points they’re discussing:
- Making social media users prove who they are
- Stopping anonymous accounts
- Making a proper job of enforcing age-of-consent laws
- Giving the regulators more power to keep an eye on the platforms
US Pushback Highlights Global Divide
The moves in Australia and Europe are prompting the US to push back. Officials say these measures threaten free speech in America. The US State Department is warning that other countries are pressuring companies to censor lawful speech.
Last June, UK regulator Ofcom started sniffing around 4chan under the new Online Safety Act 2023, which got the US all riled up. More recently, the US hit out at 5 EU officials, accusing them of trying to get American platforms to self-censor. Lawmakers in Wyoming are pushing the GRANITE Act, which allows US individuals or companies to sue foreign governments for imposing censorship.
Conclusion
All of this highlights the growing split between governments forcing more controls online and countries standing up for free speech. As age verification and identity checks get more widespread, the debate is gonna get way more heated about what counts as private, safe & free.
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