Brickbat: No Children Allowed

Australia will implement mandatory age verification for logged-in users of search engines starting Dec. 27, 2025, under a new online safety code that charges non-compliant providers with breaching industry standards, potentially facing fines of nearly $50 million ($32.75 million U.S.) per violation. The rules, developed with input from the Australia's tech industry, require age assurance technologies to filter out pornography, violence, and material promoting eating disorders for users under 18. Critics argue the measures could compromise privacy and that users can simply log out or use a VPN.

Comments

[AT]

to filter out pornography, violence, and material promoting eating disorders for users under 18

Show of hands who's against that. Anyone that raises one better explain why.

[Incunabulum]

Do you know what the Australian definition of violence is?

It's a picture of a gun.

[Mockamodo]

Well these are people who would have agreed with Karen Carpenter that because she identified as fat she really was fat and in need of an extreme diet.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Is a McDonald’s ad promoting an eating disorder? Probably.

[Rossami]

There is zero evidence that viewing any of that material is harmful. There is strong evidence that attempting to filter out those "harmful" elements will inevitably also block helpful elements.

And if parents are worried about it anyway, parents are perfectly capable of putting filters on the computers their children access.

[Chumby]

Raises hand with one middle finger.

Parental responsibility. Avoid stealing from taxpayers to do something mon and dad should be doing.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

You demand that those desiring freedom explain themselves, while you, who demand restricting freedom, are assumed right?

Fuck off, slaver, just fuck right off.

[Vernon Depner]

Australia is turning into China without a shot being fired.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...the measures could compromise privacy and that users can simply log out or use a VPN.

Sounds like the next legislation writes itself.

[Chumby]

…potentially facing fines of nearly $50 million ($32.75 million U.S.) per violation

And this is how Canberra expects to fund some of their progressive spending.

[mad.casual]

Borders people, borders.

Porn (and violence and mukbang videos) featuring Australians will be shot and distributed freely (to minors) outside Australia (*cough*Angela White*cough*). Porn (and violence and mukbang videos) created and distributed within Australia will be more profitable outside Australia. MOAR IMMIGRASHUN! MOAR JERBZ NATIVEZ WOHNT DOO!

The Free Market wins all, remember Reason?

[NoVaNick]

No worries, I am sure they will make exceptions for trans kiddie porn

[Bubba Jones]

TBF, Google already has copies of everything I have ever done online under my real name. So age verification for my real name account seems redundant.

I do question their ability to validate the authenticity of the ID that I had AI make up for Tits McGee.

[Kemuel]

My workplace forces safe search on. Appropriate for a private business controlling their own network. Wholly inappropriate for a nation that considers itself free.

[TangoDelta]

Wait, you mean people actually log in on search engines?