Overview

• eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant accused platforms of “turning a blind eye” to child sexual abuse material and failing to prioritise child protection.
• YouTube and Apple were unable to specify how many user reports of child sexual abuse they received or how long they took to respond.
• The regulator identified gaps in livestream detection, blocking of known abuse links and the use of hash-matching technology across services.
• All major platforms must implement age verification, harm-assessment criteria and six-monthly transparency reporting or face fines up to A$50 million when the under-16 ban begins on December 10, 2025.
• Google has signalled plans to pursue a High Court challenge against its inclusion in Australia’s under-16 social media ban.