Australia Eyes Email Block for Teens

Under a proposed digital safety overhaul in Australia, teenagers could face being locked out of essential services like Gmail. Google has voiced concerns to a Senate inquiry, indicating that the Digital Duty of Care bill might necessitate age verification for all users and block individuals under 18 from everyday communication platforms.

The legislation aims to proactively reduce online harm, particularly exposure to pornography, with substantial penalties for non-compliance. However, Google argues that the bill's broad scope could inadvertently affect private communications and file storage services. Concerns have also been raised about the removal of privacy as a key factor in companies' compliance assessments, potentially leading to mass surveillance of private data.

While tech companies like Google support the general concept of a duty of care, they are seeking more nuanced details for private communication services. The government maintains the bill sets basic safety standards, comparable to regulations for other products. The committee overseeing the bill is due to report its findings by November 20.