Children’s Online Privacy Code: Past Consultations

In 2024, new privacy laws, known as the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment (POLA) Act 2024, ordered the development of the Children’s Online Privacy Code (the Code).

As Australia’s privacy regulator, the OAIC is responsible for creating the Code.

This new Code will help protect children's online privacy by telling many online services, like apps, games, and websites, how they need to follow special privacy rules when taking care of children's personal information online.

Child-friendly guides to the draft Code

The Code is currently a draft. Think of it just like the first version of a speech you rehearse with your parents or carers, or a practice written response you would share with your teacher for feedback at school.

We are still planning what special rules online services should have to follow, but we are showing you what we have brainstormed so far to get your feedback.

The official draft Code is a long document filled with lots of words that relate to the law.

That is why we have worked with a group of young people to help make child-friendly guides that explain the draft Code.

Check out our:

• short guide, best for primary school aged children, and
• extended (longer) guide, best for young people and parents and carers.

But everyone is welcome to check out either the short or extended guides!

Our consultation process to develop the Code

The OAIC’s approach to developing the Code is based on research, evidence and extensive consultations.

As of March 2026, we have had more than 65 individual engagements with key stakeholders from across government, international regulators, industry, academia and the community.

It is important that the Code reflects the real experiences and needs of children and their families.

That is why we continue to consult directly with children, young people, parents and carers.

We have also met with experts in child welfare, privacy and online safety.

We want to make sure that online services bound by the Code will comply with it, so we continue to seek feedback from industry stakeholders and other groups to learn how the Code will work in practice.

To ensure this broad engagement and feedback, our consultation process has taken place in phases, with ongoing engagement throughout each stage.

Past consultations

What we heard from children, young people, parents and carers

Children’s Report!

We made a report for kids about what we heard from children and young people.

In 2025, we invited children, young people, parents and carers (participants) to share their views on online privacy. Participants completed worksheets, were presented with several scenario-based exercises, and asked a series of open-ended questions. All answers provided were short response.

The top six things children and young people said that organisations should do better:

Access the full Children's Online Privacy Code consultation report

What we heard from civil society, academia and industry stakeholders

In 2025, the OAIC released an issues paper that invited submissions from industry, civil society organisations, academia and other interested stakeholders. The OAIC received 61 written submissions from stakeholders from a broad cross section of society. These submissions contained diverse views to issues including age assurance, consent, transparency, the best interest of the child and children’s right to permanently delete their personal information.

During the same period, the OAIC also ran three industry roundtables with 32 attendees to support detailed discussion of key issues and practical considerations of the Code. This included discussion about the alignment of the Code to other domestic and international codes and standards, clarity on the scope of services included in the Code, and a balance between principles-based and prescriptive guidance.

The OAIC also heard from 70 academic and civil society representatives during a one-day workshop. These stakeholders discussed a range of issues including greater transparency of handling children’s personal information, limiting direct marketing to children, and increasing children’s access to their personal information and ability to make corrections.

While views from industry, civil society organisations, academia and other interested stakeholders were diverse in nature, there was broad support for the Code and the goal of uplifting privacy protections for children and young people.

How to give your feedback

Based on Phase 1 and 2 consultations, the OAIC has developed the official draft Code (known as an ‘Exposure Draft’), which is now open for Phase 3 public consultation.

The OAIC is required to run a public consultation of 60 days.

This public consultation open from 31 March 2026 to 5 June 2026.

The OAIC is seeking public feedback on the draft Code from a broad range of stakeholders, including children, parents and carers, as well as industry, civil society, academia and other interested parties.

Have your say! Head to the relevant webpage:

• Draft Children’s Online Privacy Code (consultations for children, young people, parents and carers)
• Draft Children’s Online Privacy Code (consultations for industry, civil society and academia)

What happens after the consultation?

Once the consultation closes on Friday 5 June 2026, the OAIC has the important task of looking at everyone’s feedback on the daft Code.

This means taking in and considering the feedback from children, young people, parent and carers, as well as industry, civil society, academia and other interested parties, to improve the Code.

Where appropriate and required, the OAIC will continue to consult widely with children, young people, parents/carers, child development experts, child welfare advocates, civil society, other regulators and across the online industry, to ensure different voices are heard and represented throughout the process in developing the final Code.

The final Code needs to be ready by 10 December 2026.

For more information, visit our Privacy for kids information hub.