{"id":58248,"date":"2025-12-30T14:56:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T07:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hbbgroup.net\/australias-search-id-goes-into-force-ireland-lobbies-to-ban-anonymity\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T14:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T07:56:01","slug":"australias-search-id-goes-into-force-ireland-lobbies-to-ban-anonymity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbbgroup.net\/vi\/australias-search-id-goes-into-force-ireland-lobbies-to-ban-anonymity\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s search ID goes into force, Ireland lobbies to ban anonymity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New rules requiring search engines like Google to verify the age of logged-in users \u2014 and filter the content for everyone else \u2014 went live in Australia this week.<\/p>\n

The Australian eSafety Commissioner\u2019s new rules came into force on Dec. 27, with a six-month time frame for full implementation. They require search engines to verify users’ ages using methods including photo ID, face scanning, credit cards, digital ID, parental consent, AI, or third-party verification.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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According<\/a> to regulatory guidance, the highest-level safety filters must be applied by default to accounts suspected of being operated by someone under 18; companies must create a reporting mechanism to flag violators; and search results must be filtered for unsafe content such as pornography and graphic violence.<\/p>\n

Privacy and free speech campaigners hold significant concerns about the regulations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jason Bassler, the co-founder of The Free Thought Project podcast, said<\/a> in an X post on Monday that \u201cstarting 2 days ago, Australians are now required to upload their ID to use a search engine,\u201d and speculated the country is the \u201cbeta test for a world where freedom and privacy quietly die… and it won’t stop there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: <\/em>Jason Bassler<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The requirements come hot on the heels of Australia restricting<\/a> access to social media platforms for users under 16, a law that went into force on Dec. 10.<\/p>\n

Ireland pushing for social media verification in EU<\/h2>\n

The Irish government has announced plans to push similar age verification measures for social media users across Europe when it assumes<\/a> the EU Council\u2019s presidency in July 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Its proposed measures would also ban anonymous accounts in the EU and require ID to post on social media under the guise of cracking down on hate and disinformation online, according<\/a> to Irish news site Extra.ie.<\/p>\n

T\u00e1naiste, Ireland\u2019s deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, told the publication that Media Minister Patrick O\u2019Donovan will bring forward the proposal next year. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a digital age of consent in Ireland, which is 16, but it\u2019s simply not being enforced. And I think that\u2019s a really important move. And then I think there\u2019s the broader issue, which will require work that\u2019s not just at an Irish level, around the anonymous bots,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n