This backgrounder provides an overview of the Australian government’s approach to online safety for children – including discussion of the Online Safety Act 2021 and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner's (eSafety) proposed roadmap for age verification – and outlines a sample of children’s online safety measures in other jurisdictions.

Australia led the world with online safety regulation with the introduction of the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 and the establishment of the eSafety Commissioner in 2015. Since then, many other countries have followed suit, introducing various laws aimed at protecting children online, specifically on social media platforms. While the Act’s aim is to improve and promote the online safety of all Australians, the safety of children is a key focus.

This research paper provides an overview of the current approach to online safety for children and outlines examples of comparable legislation in international jurisdictions. Examples are provided for the Five Eyes countries as well as other jurisdictions that have taken notable, recent legislative action in the online safety space.