At a Senate hearing, Google said a proposed safety law could affect children’s access to email. The bill would require internet companies to show steps to remove harmful content or face a fine of up to A$109 million (about $74.9 million).
Google warned an Australian Senate hearing that the proposed Digital Duty of Care law could force it to block people under 18 from Gmail. No such Gmail restriction has been adopted.
The bill would require internet companies to show they are taking steps to remove harmful content or face a fine of up to A$109 million (about $74.9 million).
The bill has passed Australia’s House of Representatives but needs cross-party support to pass the Senate. The government says broad rules are needed to ensure a safe internet.
The proposed framework would apply online safety standards to social media, games, apps and chatbots. The government says it would replace a range of existing online codes and standards with a broader duty for platforms to protect users from harmful content.
Rachel Lord, YouTube’s head of policy in Australia and New Zealand, told the hearing that a provision requiring age checks where children risk seeing pornography could require platforms to check ages and block access to messaging, email and private file storage. She also raised the possibility of intrusive monitoring of private communications and files.
Other platform representatives warned that giving regulators broad discretion over what is harmful could discourage online communication. Some said uncertainty could also lead companies to remove too much content to avoid penalties.
An October 28 report said the Senate inquiry was due to report in late November 2026. The government hoped to pass the bill by the end of 2026, but its path through the Senate was uncertain.
NVIDIA says Rebellions will connect its Korean-designed processors to NVIDIA infrastructure, while SK Telecom plans to deploy the systems in its data center. The systems are expected to be ready for deployment in 2028.
2 min
The nuclear plant lost its external electricity supply on 8 November, the UN nuclear watchdog said. Energoatom later said a transmission line had returned to service, restoring stable power from Ukraine’s grid.
2 min
The government’s November 6 package funds stronger defenses, faster collection of attack information and support for victims after disruptions to railways, retailers and other services.
2 min
