Australia mandates age verification for AI chats
Australia's eSafety regulator is giving AI chat services until March 2026 to add age verification, aiming to keep under-18s away from harmful content like explicit material and self-harm advice.
If companies don't comply, they could face huge fines—up to A$49.5 million—and even get blocked from app stores.
Kids are chatting with bots
Right now, most popular AI chatbots aren't doing enough—only 9 out of 50 have introduced or shared plans for age assurance, while many others have no filters at all.
Kids as young as 10 are spending hours chatting with these bots, which often use friendly designs that make them extra appealing.
Australia's move is about making digital spaces safer for young people and pushing tech companies and app stores to step up their responsibility.