Australia Censorship News

Australia has activated a new requirement for search engines to verify the ages of their signed-in users, with companies now facing a six-month countdown to full compliance.

The rule, which began on December 27, sits within a newly registered industry code under the authority of the eSafety Commissioner and extends the countrys expanding system of online censorship controls.

Search services such as Google and Bing must soon introduce age-assurance checks when logged-in users perform searches that might surface adult or otherwise high-impact material. The mechanisms vary, but common approaches include prompting users to confirm their age through a pop-up screen or submitting an official document, credit card details, or digital ID.

For those not logged in, searches will still function, but some content may appear blurred. Logged-in users under 18 will automatically receive filtered results excluding topics the government labels as harmful.

Australian internet censors will enforce a new rule that basically requires search engines into safe mode for unlogged in users and require ID/age verification to login.

Under the new rules, search results that include pornography or extreme violence will be blurred by default for users under 18, or for anyone using search without logging in. At the same time, search engines must verify the age of logged-in users. If the user is identified as a minor, safe search settings, filtering out pornography, high-impact violence and disordered-eating content, must be applied automatically.

In addition, searches by Australians related to suicide, self-harm or eating disorders will now automatically redirect to mental health support services.

The new censorship rules will kick in on December 27 2025.

People will not need an account to search the internet. The codes do not require users to log in, and they do not notify the government about what people are searching. For users who are logged in, age assurance mechanisms will be used, possibly including ID/age verification. Adults will still be able to access content if they choose. Blurred images can be clicked through to view, but only once the user accepts they are over 18.

Between Two Worlds is a 2025 visual novel with RPG and fantasy elements developed by Drooskati Games.

The game was banned by the Australian Censorship Board in August 2025.

The Australians censors have not explained their reasons beyond a generic bolierplate statement about censorship rules being broken.

Drooskati Games responded to the ban:

Australia is censoring gaming, even fully consensual, romantic, and respectful content.

Apparently, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS is just too damn sexy for Australians.

Trying to do the right thing, I submitted the game to the Aussie government to get a proper rating several weeks ago. Today, I got my answer.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS is just too damn explicit and realistic for the poor, innocent, simple Aussies. They are just not ready for romantic, consensual, and respectful sexual situations.

Those who have played BTW can attest to the content within the game. It portrays healthy and honest relationships centered on communication. But that is just too much for Australians, I guess.

I may be required to take the game down for Australians in the near future, so get it while you can!