App stores must age-check R18+ downloads
Age-Restricted Material Codes take effect for app distribution from 9 September 2026.
Confirmed
App stores in Australia must age-check R18+ apps from 9 September 2026. The Age-Restricted Material Codes say distributors need checks in place before a user downloads or buys an R18+ app. The start is staged. eSafety sets the rule in its FAQ and Phase 2 overview. Industry code papers and trade desks describe how storefronts are rolling it out. If a company ignores an eSafety direction, civil penalties can follow, as trade reporting has said, with exposure cited near $49.5 million.