Australia is to bring in restrictions on online chatrooms, Websites and mobile phone content in a bid to stop children viewing unsuitable material.

The new laws require content service providers to check that people accessing MA15-plus content are aged over 15 years and those accessing R18-plus and X18-plus content are over 18.

The law will be policed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) who can force content providers to take down offensive material and issue notices for live content to be stopped and links to the content deleted. ACMA chairman Chris Chapman claimed that adults will not be affected by the new laws.

Providers of live services, such as chatrooms, must have their service professionally assessed to determine whether its "likely content" should be restricted.

More here.