Australia aligns privacy and online safety regulation
Regulators aim to improve coordination in responding to emerging digital risks, including those linked to AI and evolving online technologies.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner have signed a new agreement to strengthen cooperation on online privacy and safety regulation.
The Memorandum of Understanding formalises coordination between the two bodies as digital risks increasingly overlap across their respective mandates.
The agreement focuses on joint oversight of age-assurance technologies and compliance with social media minimum-age requirements. Both regulators say they want to ensure that systems designed to protect children from harmful or inappropriate content also respect privacy obligations under Australian law.
Officials also highlighted the growing complexity of online risks, particularly with the rapid development of AI and other emerging technologies. The framework is intended to support more consistent regulatory responses by improving communication, information sharing, and enforcement coordination.
Why does it matter?
Officials from both agencies said closer collaboration will help address digital harms more effectively while ensuring privacy protections remain central to online safety measures. The initiative reflects a broader shift towards more integrated regulation of technology-driven risks.
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