Overview

• eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said YouTube and Apple could not account for user reports of child sex abuse or their response times, signaling unresponsiveness to critical enquiries.
• The regulator identified gaps in abuse detection, including inconsistent use of hash-matching technology, weak livestream controls and flawed link-blocking mechanisms.
• Australia’s government has overturned YouTube’s exemption and will include the video-sharing site in its pioneering under-16 ban following the report’s advice.
• Mandated platforms such as Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Skype, Snap and WhatsApp were found to have safety deficiencies despite prior notices from the eSafety office.
• Starting December 10, all major services must verify under-16 accounts and enforce harm-based rules or face penalties of up to A$50 million for non-compliance.