Australia to Implement Net Censorship Law in January

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is set to implement new rules that will impose stringent regulations on online and mobile companies that offer sexually oriented content.

The new Restricted Access Systems Declaration, which goes into effect January 20, 2008, will put new restrictions on online chatrooms, websites and mobile phone content in an effort to prevent children from viewing unsuitable content. The new rules will apply to content that is either “hosted in Australia or provided from Australia.”

Among other requirements, all content service providers will have to ensure that individuals accessing restricted content provided in Australia are at least 15 years of age for MA15+ content or 18 years of age for R18+ content.

According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the government’s media and communications regulatory agency, “The new regulatory framework will apply to most content service providers who supply content via a carriage service. Access to commercial MA15+ and R18+ content provided to consumers as internet content, live content via the internet, mobile premium services including mobile portal and premium rate SMS/MMS services, and premium rate voice services will be subject to the restricted access rules. Telephone sex services will be subject to the restricted access declaration from 20 July 2008 when provisions of Part 9A of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 governing such services are repealed.”

The main requirements of the new regulatory framework are:

* a prohibition on X18+ and RC content;
* a prohibition on R18+ content, unless it is subject to appropriate access restrictions;
* a new prohibition on commercial MA15+ content, unless it is subject to appropriate access restrictions;
* providers of hosting services, live content services, link services and commercial content services to have in place access restrictions if providing R18+ and commercial MA15+ content;
* ‘take down’, ‘service cessation’ and ‘link deletion’ notices to remove content or access to content that is the subject of a complaint; and
* a co-regulatory approach that provides for the development of industry codes to address issues including the classification of content, procedures for handling complaints about content and increasing awareness of potential safety issues associated with the use of content services.

Not everyone is pleased with the new laws, however. Australian privacy and free speech groups have denounced the new measures as extreme, undemocratic and bad for business.

In a declaration issued in November, the Australian Privacy Foundation stated, “As currently drafted, the proposed scheme of Restricted Access Systems Declarations is an unwarranted and frightening violation of people’s legitimate expectation of privacy.”

Last month, Fiona Patten, CEO of the Eros Association, Australia's industry trade association, told XBIZ, “This [regulatory scheme] will be devastating to the Australian industry and bad for anyone internationally who has Australian customers."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult, Could Face Override

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More