Asia-Pacific · 4 laws · 22 requirements
Australia: the laws your website or app must follow
If your customers are in Australia, these are the privacy, consumer, security, accessibility and AI laws SafeLaunch checks your site against, with what each one requires and where in the law it says so.
Coming up in Australia
- 2026-12-10 · Privacy Act 1988 (APPs): In force; 2024 amendments: statutory privacy tort since 10 June 2025; automated-decision disclosures in privacy policies from 10 Dec 2026; Children's Online Privacy Code due by 10 Dec 2026.
How a SafeLaunch audit checks each one
- CheckedChecked automatically on every scan
- AI reviewLooked for by the AI analysis, reported only with evidence
- Your answersDecided from your answers to the audit questions
- PreparedPrepared for you in the report's compliance pack
- You confirmA scan can't see this; you need to confirm it
Privacy Act 1988 (APPs)
In force; 2024 amendments: statutory privacy tort since 10 June 2025; automated-decision disclosures in privacy policies from 10 Dec 2026; Children's Online Privacy Code due by 10 Dec 2026.
Who it covers: Organisations with over AUD 3M turnover, and smaller ones that handle health information or trade in personal information.
What it requires of a website or app (9)
- A clearly expressed, up-to-date privacy policy: kinds of data, purposes, access and correction, complaints, overseas recipients and countriesCheckedAPP 1.3–1.4
- A collection notice at or before collectionCheckedAPP 5
- Consent for sensitive informationYour answersAPP 3.3
- Direct marketing only with an easy opt-outYour answersAPP 7
- Reasonable steps to keep data secureCheckedAPP 11
- Access and correctionCheckedAPP 12–13
- Overseas disclosure only with reasonable steps to ensure APP-level protectionCheckedAPP 8
- Notify eligible data breaches to the OAIC and individualsCheckedPart IIIC
- Say in the privacy policy where decisions are made by computer programs using personal information (if from 10 Dec 2026)AI reviewAPP 1.7–1.9
Spam Act 2003
In force.
Who it covers: Commercial electronic messages with an Australian link.
What it requires of a website or app (3)
- Consent (express or inferred) before sending (if if you send marketing emails)Your answerss. 16
- Accurate sender identification (if if you send marketing emails)Prepareds. 17
- A functional unsubscribe honoured within 5 business days (if if you send marketing emails)Your answerss. 18
Sources:ACMA: spam
Australian Consumer Law
In force; unfair contract terms penalties since Nov 2023.
Who it covers: Businesses dealing with Australian consumers.
What it requires of a website or app (7)
- No misleading or deceptive conduct or false representationsCheckeds. 18, 29
- Consumer guarantees can't be excluded; refund and terms information is clear (if if you sell to consumers)Checkeds. 54–64
- No unfair terms in standard-form contracts (if if you sell to consumers)AI reviews. 23
- Total price shown (no drip pricing) (if if you sell to consumers)AI reviews. 48
- No unfair terms in standard-form consumer contracts (if if you sell to consumers)CheckedPart 2-3 (s. 23–28)
- Consumer guarantees are not excluded or misrepresented (no 'no refunds' policies) (if if you sell to consumers)Checkeds. 29(1)(m), 64
- Subscriptions: renewal and cancellation are disclosed clearly before purchase (if if you sell subscriptions)Checkeds. 18 & 29
Sources:consumer.gov.au
Online Safety Act 2021 (incl. social media minimum age)
In force; social media minimum age (under 16) applies from 10 Dec 2025; industry codes for age-restricted material phased in from 2025.
Who it covers: Online services accessible to Australians: social media, messaging, gaming, websites and app stores.
What it requires of a website or app (3)
- Age-restricted social media platforms take reasonable steps to stop under-16s having accounts (if if you run a social media platform)Your answersPart 4A (social media minimum age)
- Adult and R18+ content is behind age assurance or a restricted access system (if if you publish adult content)CheckedPhase 2 industry codes; Restricted Access System Declaration
- Users can report harmful content and complaints are handled (Basic Online Safety Expectations) (if if users can post content)CheckedPart 4; BOSE Determination 2022
Sources:eSafety Commissioner
Licensed professionals in Australia
These regulators' advertising and conduct rules apply on top of the laws above, only to sites of that profession.
- lawyersAustralian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015, rule 36 (advertising)
- doctors and surgeonsHealth Practitioner Regulation National Law s 133 and Ahpra advertising guidelines (doctors)
- dentistsHealth Practitioner Regulation National Law s 133 and Ahpra advertising guidelines (dentists)
- pharmacists and pharmaciesHealth Practitioner Regulation National Law s 133 and Ahpra advertising guidelines (pharmacists)
- therapists, psychologists and counsellorsHealth Practitioner Regulation National Law s 133 and Ahpra advertising guidelines (psychologists)
Check your site against Australia's rules
A free scan checks your website or app against these rules in about a minute and shows what applies, with evidence from your pages. The full report gives the exact fix for each finding.
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A plain-language summary of what each law requires of a website or app, from the SafeLaunch rulebook, with the provision and official sources. It is not legal advice and not every duty in each law is listed.