The Parent-Child Digital Safety Link

A Simple Explainer

The Australian government is bringing in a law to ban kids under 16 from social media. While the goal of protecting children is right, the method is a flawed, one-size-fits-all ban. Its biggest flaw is that it forces every single person in Australia—adults, kids, and even tourists—to hand over their sensitive ID to tech giants just to use an app. This takes control away from parents and creates major privacy risks for everyone.

The ‘Parent-Child Digital Safety Link’ (PCDSL) is a detailed, practical alternative. It’s not a ban; it’s a sophisticated set of tools that lets parents parent their own children effectively in the digital world.

What is the Parent-Child Digital Safety Link?

At its heart, the PCDSL is a secure, opt-in system that creates a partnership between parents, the government, and online platforms.

Instead of a blanket ban, it gives parents the choice to register their child's device. Once a device is registered, any social media or gaming account used on it is automatically brought under the parent's supervision.

How Does It Work for a Parent? (The 3 Simple Steps)

1. Create Your Secure Account (One Time Only)

A parent first creates their own secure ‘Digital Safety Link’ account. This is done on their own phone or computer and involves a one-time identity check (using myGov) to verify they are an adult guardian.

2. Register Your Child's Device

When your child gets a new phone or tablet, you install the official ‘Digital Safety Link’ app on it. You sign into your own, already-verified parental account and allocate that device to your child. This locks the device into a secure "Child Mode."

3. Supervise from Your Hub

That's it. Now, any new social media or gaming account created on that device is automatically flagged as supervised and appears in your parental hub. You can then use the hub to monitor and manage your child's online safety.

What Tools Do Parents Actually Get?

📊
A Central Dashboard: See every single social media and gaming account your child has on their registered devices, all in one place.
➕
Proactive Account Creation: Pre-create safe, supervised accounts for your child on multiple platforms at once with a single click.
🔔
Real-Time Alerts: Get notified if your child tries to create a new, unapproved account on their device.
🛠️
Safety Intervention Tools: You can Block any user, Report harmful content, and Reply to comments as a parent (your reply is always clearly labelled).
📈
Real Accountability: When you report something, the platform's response is automatically logged with the eSafety Commissioner.
💬
Secure Parent-to-Parent Chat: If your child is having an issue with another supervised child, you can initiate a secure, anonymous chat with their parent through the hub.

How Does It Keep Kids Safe from Harmful Control?

The system is built with robust failsafes to protect children, especially those in vulnerable situations:

🤝
A Confidential 'Safe Space' App: The app on the child's device has a discreet function that gives them a direct line to Kids Helpline and other support services.
⚖️
A Path to Dispute: A child can confidentially report to the eSafety Commissioner if the parental link is being used abusively.
🎂
Automatic Freedom at 16: On their 16th birthday, all parental supervision and access is automatically and permanently terminated.

Why is This Better Than the Government's Ban?

	The Government's Blanket Ban	The Parent-Child Digital Safety Link
Parental Role	Replaces Parents with a government mandate.	Empowers Parents with real tools and choice.
Privacy Impact	A Privacy Nightmare that forces every single person to hand over sensitive ID to tech giants.	Privacy-Preserving as only parents who opt-in need to verify their identity once with the government.
Effectiveness	Easy to Bypass with VPNs or by fooling AI age checks.	Hard to Bypass as it's linked to the physical device and requires parental approval for all accounts.
Core Philosophy	A Blunt Prohibition that punishes all kids.	A Smart Safety System that creates a supervised environment for kids to learn and grow safely.

Back to Main Page