The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) welcomes the long awaited response from the Government to the 2020 Age Verification inquiry report aptly named, “Protecting the Age of Innocence.”
The Government response acknowledged that access to pornography is a top concern for Australian parents and that a large percentage of children’s exposure was accidental and could be prevented by age-verification legislation.
As part of a broader strategy, the Government has committed to resource the implementation of a regime of mandatory age verification for online pornographic material. Read the full report.
This would make Australia a global leader in this child protection strategy, joining France, whose parliament passed age verification laws in 2020.
ACL’s spokesperson for women and children, Wendy Francis, said,
“This is an important and significant step forward in protecting Australian children from online predators and harmful material. We cannot afford to delay any longer. Our children’s wellbeing is in our hands”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and increased the risks of vulnerable children being open to sexual exploitation online.
There have been numerous reports and recommendations. The Australian Christian Lobby urges the government not to delay on the implementation of this important report. Our nation’s children are worth the effort to make it work.
ENDS
