Media release - Has the eSafety Commissioner gone too far?

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

29 July 2025

Has the eSafety Commissioner gone too far?

The Coalition in the Senate tonight has voted in favour of recognising the eSafety Commissioner’s remit has exceeded what Australians would deem as reasonable.

In June, the eSafety Commissioner registered the Internet Search Engine Service Online Safety Code to protect children from harmful online content under the pretence of protecting kids.

The code will require search engine providers such as Google, Yahoo and Bing to implement age verification safety settings and require every individual to have an account before they can freely use a search engine.

Protecting children from harm is of paramount importance – this will never be up for debate. But this code is going much further.

Many Australians have raised concerns that the eSafety Commissioner is pushing her scope too far, and the code registered in isolation of any legislative scrutiny or parliamentary oversight will impinge on their privacy and personal freedoms.

Shadow Minister for Communications, Melissa McIntosh MP said, “the remit of the eSafety Commission without adequate safeguards is now in question.”
 
“Requiring adults to log in to an account to browse the internet is taking the eSafety Commissioner's power to a new level which needs to be scrutinised.

“The voices against the code cannot be ignored and whilst the intent is to protect young people from harms it is essential that this is balanced with a person’s right to privacy and protection of their personal freedoms.

“Mechanisms to protect kids from cyberbullying, predatory behaviour and inappropriate material, such as the social media age minimum, will be put in place come December. But this new internet search code will encroach on the daily lives of adults, is onerous and a step too far.
 
“The Coalition has consistently pushed back, and will continue to, on legislation which risks supressing a right to freedom of speech. We all remember Labor's disastrous attempt to impose its Misinformation Bill. They were forced to dump it, after a massive public outcry.

“It was the Coalition which forced the Government to make changes to the online safety laws late last year to prevent the risk of Digital ID being used.

“We make no apologies for holding this government to account.”

“The eSafety Commissioner’s remit to develop, regulate and enforce her own policies is raising concerns that require investigation.

“The eSafety Commissioner is not an elected official, subject to the scrutiny of Parliament. The Government needs to be more transparent with the Australian people.”