Reddit

Think of how many kids we could protect if we just locked up the entire adult population. Don't you care about children?

That's pretty sensible. However, most people are not sensible.

Also, most people are only semi-literate. Even more people are technologically illiterate. Most people don't know what a router is or how to configure it, and they don't want to. It's not just ignorance that's a problem, it's also the malign refusal to learn, or refusal to believe that one can learn.

Yeah it's almost like they don't care for children at all and the point is the invasion of privacy, control, and oppression...

Theoretically they did. Lemmy not complying isn't their problem. Lemmy does fit the definition they use.

According to the legal text, under Part 4A, Division 1, 63C, the requirements for a service to count as an age-restricted social media service are:

• the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between 2 or more end‑users
• the service allows end‑users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end‑users
• the service allows end‑users to post material on the service

Additionally, it's specified that additional legislative rules can be defined by the minister. So there seems to be exceptions for certain types of services added here:

• services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to communicate by means of messaging, email, voice calling or video calling
• services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to play online games with other end‑users
• services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to share information (such as reviews, technical support or advice) about products or services
• services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to engage in professional networking or professional development
• services that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the education of end‑users
• services that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the health of end‑users
• services that have a significant purpose of facilitating communication between educational institutions and students or students’ families
• services that have a significant purpose of facilitating communication between providers of health care and people using those providers’ services

I don't see an exclusion for small platforms or requirement for the platform to be major. So Lemmy definitely is affected by this too. Australia just can't enforce it outside their country, so they can only go after Lemmy admins operating out of Australia. And they probably won't unless someone reports the instance.

https://aussie.zone/post/27246692

It probably falls under the law. Most things like this don't define specific sites that fall under it, as that would make it stupid easy to manipulate, bypass, be used as market manipulation, etc.

If you check most Lemmy instance rules, most explicitly require users to be over 16. I always assumed it was so they weren't required to follow stuff like the US COPPA laws for handling data of users under the age of 14, and whatever the equivalents are internationally.

I've also heard one user say that they can't upload images on their instance as their instance blocked UK IP addresses from doing so to avoid some data law from the UK.

It is weird considering they are well aware that reddit has pedophiles actively preying on minors in their “ teen forms”. They rather keep anonymity, have lot traffic than to protect vulnerable people.

Love what? Ban? Australia loves bans too. And soon they will ban you.

I grew up as a closeted queer kid in rural Australia, before the internet was widely available. I had zero connection with other queer kids, and no way to develop the language or connections that I needed to help me understand what was going on.

Social media gives that to queer kids. It lets them find their peers and know that they're not alone. It gives them people to talk to and support them when they're bullied (which they will be, even without social media).

This "protects" some vulnerable kids by throwing other vulnerable kids under the bus. Whilst at the same time, setting the way for legislation like this https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-11/age-verification-search-engines/105516256, which is what it's really about.

They will just as likely move on to less moderated and less reputable platforms that don't care what Australia says.