Google warns Australian safety bill could bar under-18s from Gmail
The proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation would require internet companies to address harmful content or risk fines of up to A$109 million.
By Quang Dinh
Google has warned that proposed Australian internet safety laws could require it to deny Gmail access to under-18s, with age-checking obligations potentially extending to private messages and stored files.
At a Senate hearing, Rachel Lord, YouTube’s head of policy in Australia and New Zealand, said a provision requiring age checks where children risked encountering pornography could affect email, messaging and private file storage. She said the requirements could involve intrusive monitoring of private communications.
The Digital Duty of Care legislation has cleared the House of Representatives but requires cross-party backing in the Senate. Under the proposal, internet companies would have to demonstrate action against harmful content, with fines reaching A$109 million.
Representatives of Meta, TikTok and Snap also raised concerns about regulators’ scope to judge which material or behaviour was harmful. Several warned that uncertainty could prompt platforms to remove more content than necessary to avoid penalties. The bill would also replace some mandatory industry codes. Online companies and free speech advocates have questioned the breadth of regulators’ proposed powers, while the government has argued that wide-ranging rules are necessary to make the internet safe.
