The Australian Information Industry Association has urged lawmakers to recognise that search engines are not social media platforms and should be regulated differently, as senators pressed industry groups on whether proposed online safety codes can meaningfully protect children from harmful content.
In a submission to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee inquiry into the Internet Search Engine Services Online Safety Code, the AIIA said search engines act as “gateways, not destinations” and warned that a heavy-handed regulatory approach risked undermining public expectations of privacy.
“Search can be classified as a gateway, not a destination. Users expect to search anonymously without logging in or sharing personal data,” the submission said. “Search engines are not content hosts. Their core function is to help users find high-quality third-party content relevant to their queries.”
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