Online Safety Act
Ongoing coverage on Online Safety Act.
Latest coverage
Valve locks Australian Steam users out of age-restricted store pages if they don't have a credit card, even if…
Valve has implemented a new age verification policy on Steam for Australian users, requiring a credit card to access age-restricted content. This change, driven by the Australian government's Online Safety Act 2021, prevents users without a credit card from viewing games rated MA15+ or R18+, causing frustration among users who do not commonly use credit cards or have disabilities.
Roblox argues a child waived her legal rights in wrongful death suit and irks Australian regulators
Roblox is facing scrutiny from Australian regulators regarding child safety on its platform, with concerns that adults can still contact minors. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Roblox's lawyers are arguing that an eight-year-old girl waived her legal rights in a wrongful death lawsuit by agreeing to terms of service and making in-game purchases.
Some Battle.net players may need to verify their age to avoid losing access to voice chat and other social features
Blizzard Entertainment is implementing age verification for Battle.net users in the UK to comply with the Online Safety Act and maintain age-appropriate experiences. Players over 18 will need to verify their age using government ID, credit card, or mobile provider verification to retain access to social features like voice and text chat. Failure to verify will result in restricted access to certain features and age-restricted content.
PlayStation users are now being asked for age verification in the UK and Ireland, or risk losing access to communication…
Sony Interactive Entertainment has begun rolling out mandatory age verification for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland as part of the UK's Online Safety Act. Users who do not verify their age by June 2026 risk losing access to communication features like messaging and voice chat. This process, which uses Yoti for verification, is also being implemented by Microsoft for Xbox users.
PlayStation age-verification begins to roll-out in the UK and Ireland
Sony has begun rolling out age verification for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland, with full implementation expected by June. This measure, mandated by the Online Safety Act, requires users to verify their age through methods like facial scans or ID submission to access certain features. Other platforms like Steam and Xbox have already implemented similar age verification processes.
UK regulators explain what 'highly effective' age assurance for the Online Safety Act actually means
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Ofcom have issued guidance on what constitutes 'highly effective age assurance' (HEAA) under the Online Safety Act. The regulators emphasize a flexible, tech-neutral approach, stating that HEAA is primarily required for services with pornographic content or user-to-user services likely to be accessed by children that allow harmful content. They clarified that methods like self-declaration or debit cards are not considered highly effective, while options like credit card checks, photo-ID matching, and facial age estimation may qualify.
UK fines 4chan nearly $700,000 for failing its online safety act obligations
The UK's Ofcom has fined the website 4chan a total of £520,000 ($690,000) for failing to comply with its obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023. Penalties were issued for issues including the failure to prevent children from encountering pornography, insufficient illegal content risk assessment, and inadequate terms of service regarding user protection.