Google warns Australian safety bill could block teens from Gmail

Google has warned that a proposed Australian online safety law could force it to block under-18s from Gmail. A company policy chief raised the concern at a Senate hearing on Monday, Reuters reported.

The Digital Duty of Care bill would require online companies to show they are taking steps to remove harmful content. Firms that fail could face fines of up to A$109m ($75m).

Moreover, under the bill, each service provider would have to keep its platform as safe as is reasonably practicable for users.

Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced the bill on 15 October. The Labor government is expected to need support from the Greens, who back a duty of care but want tougher penalties.

The bill passed the House of Representatives in late October. It now needs cross-party support in the Senate, where a committee is due to report by 20 November.

Rachel Lord heads policy in Australia and New Zealand for Google’s YouTube. She said the main worry is a section that calls for age checks where there is a risk a child could see pornography.

That section “could require us to age-assure and block access to everyday communication services like messaging, email and private file storage,” Lord told the hearing.

“We are talking about potentially intrusive monitoring within private communications or file storage,” she added.

Meta, TikTok and Snap raised similar concerns at the hearing, as these companies said the bill would give regulators wide power to decide what counts as harmful content or conduct. It would also replace some of the existing industry codes that platforms must follow.

Several firms said the lack of clarity could push platforms to take down too much content, just to avoid large fines.

The government, however, has said a broad set of rules is the only way to make the internet safe. If the bill passes, the new duty is expected to take effect after a 12-month transition period.

Australia already bars children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. That world-first ban took effect in December 2025, and YouTube is among the services it covers.

The Senate hearing was still going on after Lord gave evidence.