Children’s Online Privacy Code – Australia

The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (the Act) introduced a mandate for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to develop a Children’s Online Privacy Code (the Code), which will put children at the centre of privacy protections in Australia.

The Code is an APP Code which specifies how online services, like apps, games and websites, likely to be accessed by children or primarily concerned with the activities of children, must comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and sets out additional requirements in relation to the handling of children’s personal information.

The Code will apply to online services which fall under the categories of social media services, relevant electronic services and designated internet services, as defined by the Online Safety Act 2021.

The Code is a legislative instrument that sits under Australia’s existing Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act) and will complement other online privacy and safety measures across government.

While the primary objective of the Code is to improve privacy protections for children, it will also play an important role in uplifting privacy practises across entities more broadly.

From 31 March to 5 June 2026, the OAIC is seeking feedback on the Exposure Draft of the Children’s Online Privacy Code.