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No. 76, 2021 (Compilation No. 4, 12 September 2026)
Online Safety Act 2021
Prepared by Shubhank Suman · Last reviewed
CURRENT (amended)
- Legal character
- Statute
- Region
- Asia-Pacific
What it covers
The Act sets up the eSafety Commissioner and complaint-based removal schemes for cyber-bullying material targeted at Australian children, cyber-abuse material targeted at Australian adults, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images. It includes the online content scheme for class 1 and class 2 material, blocking of abhorrent violent conduct material, Basic Online Safety Expectations with reporting requirements, industry codes and standards, and the social media minimum age obligations.
Why it matters
It is Australia's central online-safety law and the basis of eSafety's removal notices and the under-16 social media restriction.
Refer to it when
Use it for platform takedown notices in Australia, cyber-abuse complaints, image-based abuse, or age restrictions on social media.
AI, privacy and cybersecurity relevance
- AI: Moderate
- Privacy: Moderate
- Cyber: Low
AI
MODERATE RELEVANCE
Applies to AI-generated harmful or intimate content.
Privacy
MODERATE RELEVANCE
Intimate-image abuse and age assurance affect personal information.
Cybersecurity
LOW RELEVANCE
Content harms, not system security.
Applicability
Social media, messaging, hosting and other online service providers with Australian end-users.
Current validity
CURRENT. The supplied copy is Compilation No. 4, in force on 12 September 2026. Read the official PDF on this page for the operative text.
Read first
Part 1 definitions → Part 4A → Parts 3 and 5-7 → Part 4.
Provisions / sections covered
Part 2 – eSafety Commissioner
Functions and powers of the Commissioner.
Parts 3, 5, 6 and 7 – Complaint and removal schemes
Cyber-bullying, intimate images and adult cyber-abuse; removal notices.
Part 4 – Basic Online Safety Expectations
Expectations and reporting requirements.
Part 4A – Social media minimum age
Duties on age-restricted social media platforms.
Parts 9 and 8 – Online content scheme; abhorrent material
Class 1/2 material and blocking requests.
Subject-matter tags
- Children's data
Subject-matter tags describe what the indexed text discusses. They are not legal conclusions.
Related instruments in this library
- Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024: AustraliaAmendment Act · Current (phased commencement)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Spam Act 2003Law · Current (amended)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Telecommunications Act 1997Law · Current (amended)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018Law · Current (amended)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
Document page in the Knowledge Base - full text or PDF where it is available for this record.
This library locates primary and official sources. It does not interpret the law and it is not legal advice.