Online Safety for Families
It is increasingly important to stay up-to-date with the latest information about being safe while using devices. The information for parents below includes topics such as:
- continued support for parents navigating social media
- a game families can play together
- keeping children safe on major gaming platforms, including Roblox - and including a gaming toolkit
and some webinars that may be of interest to sign up to.
Continued support for families navigating social media changes
We know families are continuing to adjust to the Social Media Minimum Age changes introduced on 10 December 2025, which means many social media platforms must prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts.
Early results are encouraging. eSafety’s initial monitoring shows major platforms restricted or removed access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children under 16 in the first half of December. Implementing fair and accurate age check processes will takes time. If your under 16 still has access to social media accounts, you don't have to wait for the platforms to act. You can:
- have a conversation with your child about the age restrictions, explaining they're designed to help protect people their age
- explore the FAQ's, such as 'How can I help my child prepare for losing social media accounts?'
- delete the apps with your child.
If your under 16 is feeling confused, overwhelmed or unsure about how to cope with the change, the 'I need help' page offers support just for them – including practical steps and direct links to 24/7 services such as Kids Helpline, Headspace and 13YARN.
It is important young people know they won’t get into trouble for seeking help if they experience something harmful online – even if it happens on a social media platform they’re not meant to be using.
Calling all young people aged 13-24!
Applications are now open for the eSafety Youth Council — a group of young people aged 13 to 24 who help shape online safety education, resources and advice for other young Australians.
If you know a young person who has opinions about what they’re seeing online (the good and the bad) and wants to make an impact, encourage them to apply! We also have the Application Guide which breaks down all the info for them before applying.
📅 Applications close 29 March 2026.
A new Mighty Heroes online safety adventure
We’re excited to share our brand‑new Mighty Heroes game!
It’s a fun, interactive web-based game created to help children build essential online safety skills. The game introduces four Mighty Heroes, each with their own online safety superpower. Players enter the pixel world to help the Mighty Heroes defeat Robo Raven and restore the internet to a safe and positive place for everyone.
It’s easy for families to try at home—the game can be played on tablets, laptops or desktop computers, and doesn’t require any logins. Families can jump straight in and explore!
Explore the Mighty Heroes game, videos and conversation starters at the link below.
Keeping children safe on major gaming platforms
We recently notified Roblox—one of the most widely used online gaming environments for children—of our intention to directly test the platform’s implementation and effectiveness of the nine safety commitments it made to us last year.
This action follows growing concerns, including from the Australian Government, about online child grooming and sexual exploitation.
Our proactive testing aims to ensure platforms are meeting their commitments and doing their part to create safer online spaces for children and young people.
While regulatory action is vital, we also know families may need practical support to help children enjoy online games safely and confidently in everyday life.
That’s why we’ve developed the gaming toolkit—a collection of easy‑to‑use resources designed to help you encourage your child to have these positive experiences, while helping to protect them from risks and exposure to harmful content.
New online safety protections are arriving
The Age-Restricted Materials Codes are designed to protect children from age-inappropriate and potentially harmful online content, such as sexually explicit websites, high-impact violence and pro-suicide, self-harm, and disordered eating content. They strengthen children’s protections from accidental and unsolicited exposure to content they’re too young for, while maintaining adults’ right to access legal content and websites.
The new codes join Australia’s existing codes and standards focussed on unlawful material, such as child sexual exploitation and abuse and pro-terror content.
Codes already in force:✔️Search engine results that include sexually explicit or high-impact violence images or videos must be blurred by default.✔️Searches relating to eating disorders, suicide or self-harm must prioritise and promote reliable mental health support services and information.
Codes commencing on 9 March:🛡️ Social media services that state sexually explicit or self-harm content is against their rules (most of them) must filter out this content.🛡️ Age checks so legal sexually explicit content can only be accessed by adults.🛡️ Give all users better tools, info and options to limit their exposure to content they don't want to see.
Together, the online safety codes and standards put responsibility where it belongs—with the providers designing and delivering these services.
Access free webinars for parents and carers
Our free eSafety webinars give parents and carers practical strategies to support safer, more positive online experiences. These sessions draw on the latest guidance on online safety and are designed to be clear, supportive, and easy to follow.
Upcoming sessions:
- Recognising online coercive control in young people's lives It’s not always easy to spot when a relationship becomes controlling, especially for young people. This 45-minute webinar will explore how tech-based coercive control impacts young people, the red flags to watch for and practical ways to support those experiencing it.
- Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online Learn how parental controls work, the options available across devices and platforms, and how these tools can support safer experiences when used alongside open conversations. Suitable for parents and carers of children in primary and secondary school.
Thank you for supporting Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day 2026 is a wrap and a huge thank you for supporting it, in whatever way you did. Every conversation, share and small action adds up, and together we reached thousands of Australians with online safety messages.
To mark the day, we held an in-person event at Parliament House themed Advice to My Younger Self. We heard opening remarks from Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, and Minister Anika Wells also joined the program, before a youth panel hosted by Nat Kelly (ABC’s Behind the News) with panellists Raghu (eSafety Youth Council), April (ReachOut Youth Advocate) and Jessica (AYAC Youth representative).
We also opened the event with a short video featuring young people sharing honest reflections and advice about growing up online—check it out below.
eSafety acknowledges all First Nations people for their continuing care of everything Country encompasses — land, waters and community. We pay our respects to First Nations people, and to Elders past and present.