Australia’s Search Id Goes Into Force, Ireland Lobbies To Ban...

America has recently taken steps to dissuade foreign governments from censoring US-based platforms, including the proposed GRANITE Act and sanctions against five EU officials.

New rules requiring search engines like Google to verify the age of logged-in users — and filter the content for everyone else — went live in Australia this week.The Australian eSafety Commissioner’s new rules came into force on Dec. 27, with a six-month timeframe 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.

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

The Irish government has announced plans to push similar age verification measures for social media users across Europe when it assumes the EU Council’s presidency in July 2026.

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 to Irish news site Extra.ie.

Tánaiste, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, told the publication that Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan will bring forward the proposal next year.

“We have a digital age of consent in Ireland, which is 16, but it’s simply not being enforced. And I think that’s a really important move. And then I think there’s the broader issue, which will require work that’s not just at an Irish level, around the anonymous bots,” Harris said.

A Dublin woman was recently given a six-month prison sentence for sending social media messages to the Irish leader, allegedly calling him a murderer and wishing harm to his family.

Moves in Australia and Europe to crack down on social media companies have drawn a sharp response from the Trump administration.

US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers claimed that regulators in the UK and the EU are trying to censor US-based platforms and undermine the protections offered by the First Amendment.

Source: CoinTelegraph