Privacy Act 2026
Does the Children's Online Privacy Code Apply to Your App or Website? (Australia, 2026)
Australia's Children's Online Privacy Code must be finalised by the OAIC by 10 December 2026. Who it applies to — social media, electronic and internet services likely to be accessed by children — and how to prepare. Plain English, source-checked.
If your business runs an app, a website or an online service that children might use, a new piece of Australian privacy regulation is coming: the Children's Online Privacy Code. The OAIC must finalise it by 10 December 2026. Here is who it applies to and how to get ahead of it.
(About Australia's Privacy Act 1988, not the US COPPA or the US Privacy Act of 1974.)
What the code is and when it lands
The Children's Online Privacy Code comes from the 2024 privacy amendments. The OAIC must finalise and register it by 10 December 2026 — two years from the 11 December 2024 Royal Assent. An exposure draft was released on 31 March 2026. Note that commencement may fall later than registration, and the transition or grace period is not yet set, so treat the operative date as still to be confirmed. (Source: OAIC.)
Who it applies to
The code will apply to APP entities providing:
- a social media service,
- a relevant electronic service, or
- a designated internet service
that is likely to be accessed by children. The "likely to be accessed by children" test is broad — it is not limited to services aimed at kids. If your service could reasonably attract child users, plan as though it may apply.
How to prepare now
Even before the final text, sensible preparation includes:
- Map whether children are likely to access your service — and document your
reasoning.
- Review how you collect and use children's personal information — data
minimisation matters even more here.
- Look at defaults, consent and age-related design in your product.
- Align your privacy policy so it can carry the code's requirements when finalised
— see how to write a privacy policy that complies in 2026.
- Watch the OAIC for the registered code and its commencement/transition details.
This sits alongside your other 2026 obligations — the 2026 compliance checklist puts them in order.
Run the free checker to see whether this and your other obligations apply.
General information only, not legal or compliance advice. Current to June 2026; the code's final text and commencement date were not yet confirmed as at June 2026. Confirm your obligations at oaic.gov.au or with a qualified adviser. Last verified: 8 June 2026.
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