Stop online identity verification in Australia (Children's Online Privacy Code 2026)
Stop online identity verification in Australia (Children's Online Privacy Code 2026)
The issue
Australia's Children's Online Privacy Code forces age verification across gaming platforms, baby monitor apps, school management systems and family photo tools, not just social media. Launching December 2026, the same month private companies gain access to Australia's Digital ID system.
Every app, website and digital service that you access will require you to verify your age and identity. This code presents as something that will protect children, but it's real purpose is to restrict, monitor and track internet activity, taking away our ability to freely access and share information. This code doesn't only affect children and parents, every Australian over the age of 16 must link either their face, government identification or bank account to online platforms and accounts in order to pass age verification, linking your government identity to your online activity, removing all anonymity and privacy.
As reported on ABC News and other platforms, the initial under-16 social media ban in 2025 (The Online Safety Act) was ineffective at protecting children, with various ways of breaking age barriers. It was so unsuccessful that months after the ban came into effect the eSafety Commissioner stated they were investigating 5 social media sites that were 'failing to uphold legal obligations'. The government, instead of conceding that age verification doesn't work and reconsidering, is using this as justification for the next, larger expansion of the code, to take more of your privacy. The first act was specific, targeting 10 named social media platforms, the 2026 code is not, covering any service a child might access, defined as "social media services, relevant electronic services and designated internet services".
1 in 7 of Australians experienced personal fraud in 2024/25, and specifically biometric identity theft surged 1300% in 2024. Your facial data and government identity cannot be changed, and if leaked can have devastating consequences. If a hacker obtains your passwords, you can change them, but if they acces your biometric data they obtain a permanent key to your identity. Government agencies cannot guarantee the protection of the private and sensitive data they take from you, for example the U.S government lost 5.6 million federal employee's fingerprints in a single hack, and a biometrics system used by banks lost over a million fingerprints and facial recognition data.
Just last year the instant messaging app Discord (one of the 10 social media platforms including in the Australian Online Safety Act) confirmed a security incident that caused over 70,000 government ID photos to be leaked. That is the future of your sensitive data.
But it might not even require a breach for your internet activity, biometric data and government identity to be leaked. In December 2026, at the same time as the proposed Childrens Online Privacy Code the governments next priority is "preparing for private sector providers to join the government system". Currently, your Digital ID (AGDIS, used by 15 million Australians) can only be used to authenticate access to 246 online government services, but in December it will open to private companies.
Australians data being sold is not new, one example is Coles, which already has a deal with the surveillance corporation and U.S defence contractor, Palantir. They share 10 billion rows of Australian data, video and audio surveillance, purchase histories and more.
The research proves, this code doesn't protect children. It monitors Australians. Sign the petition to stop normalising surveillance tech.
"What we're seeing is the fundamental erosion of the anonymous internet" - Daniel Angus QUT
Sources and further explanations:
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-registers/privacy-codes/childrens-online-privacy-code
https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/news/2025/digital-id-continues-grow-and-improve-12-months
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The issue
Australia's Children's Online Privacy Code forces age verification across gaming platforms, baby monitor apps, school management systems and family photo tools, not just social media. Launching December 2026, the same month private companies gain access to Australia's Digital ID system.
Every app, website and digital service that you access will require you to verify your age and identity. This code presents as something that will protect children, but it's real purpose is to restrict, monitor and track internet activity, taking away our ability to freely access and share information. This code doesn't only affect children and parents, every Australian over the age of 16 must link either their face, government identification or bank account to online platforms and accounts in order to pass age verification, linking your government identity to your online activity, removing all anonymity and privacy.
As reported on ABC News and other platforms, the initial under-16 social media ban in 2025 (The Online Safety Act) was ineffective at protecting children, with various ways of breaking age barriers. It was so unsuccessful that months after the ban came into effect the eSafety Commissioner stated they were investigating 5 social media sites that were 'failing to uphold legal obligations'. The government, instead of conceding that age verification doesn't work and reconsidering, is using this as justification for the next, larger expansion of the code, to take more of your privacy. The first act was specific, targeting 10 named social media platforms, the 2026 code is not, covering any service a child might access, defined as "social media services, relevant electronic services and designated internet services".
1 in 7 of Australians experienced personal fraud in 2024/25, and specifically biometric identity theft surged 1300% in 2024. Your facial data and government identity cannot be changed, and if leaked can have devastating consequences. If a hacker obtains your passwords, you can change them, but if they acces your biometric data they obtain a permanent key to your identity. Government agencies cannot guarantee the protection of the private and sensitive data they take from you, for example the U.S government lost 5.6 million federal employee's fingerprints in a single hack, and a biometrics system used by banks lost over a million fingerprints and facial recognition data.
Just last year the instant messaging app Discord (one of the 10 social media platforms including in the Australian Online Safety Act) confirmed a security incident that caused over 70,000 government ID photos to be leaked. That is the future of your sensitive data.
But it might not even require a breach for your internet activity, biometric data and government identity to be leaked. In December 2026, at the same time as the proposed Childrens Online Privacy Code the governments next priority is "preparing for private sector providers to join the government system". Currently, your Digital ID (AGDIS, used by 15 million Australians) can only be used to authenticate access to 246 online government services, but in December it will open to private companies.
Australians data being sold is not new, one example is Coles, which already has a deal with the surveillance corporation and U.S defence contractor, Palantir. They share 10 billion rows of Australian data, video and audio surveillance, purchase histories and more.
The research proves, this code doesn't protect children. It monitors Australians. Sign the petition to stop normalising surveillance tech.
"What we're seeing is the fundamental erosion of the anonymous internet" - Daniel Angus QUT
Sources and further explanations:
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-registers/privacy-codes/childrens-online-privacy-code
https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/news/2025/digital-id-continues-grow-and-improve-12-months
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Petition created on 30 April 2026