Submission to Inquiry into Age Verification for Online Wagering and Online Pornography

Recommendation 1: In light of data verifying the real-life harms of childhood exposure to pornography the Commonwealth government should recognise the potential benefits of an Age Verification system along with other measures to limit porn exposure to children, including education programs and improved ISP filters.

Recommendation 2: An age verification scheme for access to online pornography, drawing from work done to develop the original United Kingdom model and with added measures that address perceived shortcomings in that model, for example, additions that extend application to social media platforms, should be implemented by the Commonwealth Government.

Recommendation 3: Introduce an age verification system that will restrict children’s access to online pornography (and the global porn industry’s unfettered access to children), acknowledging that our obligation to protect children, and the ensuing protections afforded to children by such a system far outweigh the concerns of those with vested interests in the global porn industry.

Recommendation 4: Introduce an Age Verification system that will restrict children’s access to online pornography (and the global porn industry’s unfettered access to children) and so uphold Australia’s international obligations to protect children from abuse, exploitation and developmental harm, acknowledging that exposure to online pornography amounts to abuse, exploitation and harm.


Screen_Shot_2019-12-03_at_11.06.31_am.png

Click here to read the full submission.


See also:

UK age-verification has kids – and parents - at heart

We have been heard: Parliamentary inquiry into age verification for online pornography

Parliamentary hearing: Movement Director Melinda Tankard Reist and Campaigns Manager Melinda Liszewski give evidence to Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs (Hansard transcript)

*Update:

We've been heard!

The House of Reps Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has released its report - 'Protecting the age of innocence' - following its Inquiry into Age Verification for online porn. We welcome the Committee's recommendation of a 'roadmap for the implementation of a regime of mandatory Age Verification for online pornographic material'.

Read the full report - which references Collective Shout's and Movement Director Melinda Tankard Reist's submissions and evidence - here.


Add your comment

You can defend their right to childhood

A world free of sexploitation is possible!

Fuel the Movement