Australia Implements New Search Engine Age Verification Rules, Ireland Proposes EU Social Media Real-Name System

According to TechFlow, on December 30, Cointelegraph reported that new regulations from the Australian eSafety Commissioner officially took effect on December 27, requiring search engines such as Google to verify the age of logged-in users and filter content for other users. The regulations grant companies a six-month full implementation period and require search engines to verify users' ages through methods including photo ID, facial scans, credit cards, and digital IDs. For accounts suspected to be under 18, the highest level of safety filtering must be applied by default.

Meanwhile, the Irish government announced plans to promote similar social media age verification measures across the European Union during its presidency of the EU Council in July 2026, and proposed a ban on anonymous accounts to combat online hate speech and misinformation.