So what’s the new code about? How will it work in practice? And how exactly will it affect kids — and adults — in Australia who use search engines such as Google?

What’s in the new code?

The code requires providers to review and mitigate “the risk that Australian children will access or be exposed to online pornography, high-impact violence material, and self-harm material” in search engine results.

The code creates several other rules for search engine providers that will impact everyone.

On top of these measures, the code requires search-engine providers to report to eSafety, invest in safety and moderation teams, and engage with community organisations.

A single breach could result in a search engine provider copping a fine of up to $49.5 million.

How will the code work in practice?

Yet, the government’s recent age assurance trials highlighted concerns about the accuracy of age estimation tools, despite claims of their overall effectiveness.

Changing how people search

The Google ecosystem includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Maps, providing seamless integration between search and other tools and tasks.

Google has a large suite of popular apps and services, such as Gmail, Google Drive and Google Maps. Source: Getty / Chesnot

Repeated age assurance requests could disrupt the seamlessness of content-sharing across devices that users now experience.

This means results generated by Google’s Gemini AI service fall under the code, alongside traditional search results.

This may make searching even more confusing for users, as many people may not understand the limitations of treating generative AI tools like search engines – but they are not.

Will the code work?

Lisa M. Given is a professor of information sciences and the director of the Social Change Enabling Impact Platform at RMIT University.