Under the Online Safety Act 2021, eSafety registered industry-drafted Age-Restricted Material Codes in June and September 2025. They are mandatory and enforceable. For designated internet services, which covers websites including porn sites, they took effect starting on 9 March 2026.
| Law | Online Safety Act 2021 · Age-Restricted Material Codes (class 1C and class 2 material) |
| Regulator | eSafety Commissioner |
| In force since | 9 March 2026 |
| Penalties | eSafety says ongoing failure to comply with the codes may lead to civil penalties for the service provider, with no penalties for children (eSafety FAQ). Amounts deliberately not listed here. |
eSafety says pornography sites should ask users to confirm their age when they access age-restricted material, and that clicking an “I am 18 years or older” button is no longer good enough. The method must meet the codes’ definition of “appropriate age assurance” (technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair); eSafety names photo-ID matching, facial age estimation, credit-card checks and digital identity wallets among possible methods, and says providers should offer more than one method and not rely on government ID alone. eSafety’s codes also say providers must take reasonable steps to prevent workarounds such as VPNs.
Not legal advice. This page summarises and links to primary sources; it does not tell you what the law requires of your specific site.