Office of the eSafety Commissioner
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator, established in 2015 and operating under the Online Safety Act 2021. It enforces civil penalties, removal notices, and education programs to protect Australians—particularly children—from cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and other online harms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBelconnen, Australia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Office of the eSafety Commissioner does
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator, established in 2015 as the Office of the Children's eSafety Commissioner and operating under the Online Safety Act 2021. The organization protects Australians—particularly children and vulnerable groups—from cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, illegal content, and technology-facilitated abuse. Its mandate was substantially expanded in 2024 with the addition of mandatory social media age restrictions for under-16 users (effective December 10, 2025) and Age-Restricted Material Codes (effective March 9, 2026). The agency is led by Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and operates under the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
The agency's core capabilities span regulatory enforcement, investigation, education, and research. Products and frameworks include the eSafety Reporting System for online complaints, the eSafety Guide for platform-specific safety advice, the Social Media Age Restrictions Hub, Age-Restricted Material Codes, Basic Online Safety Expectations, Safety by Design initiative, and free education programs including the Be Connected digital literacy program for seniors. The technology base is primarily policy development, regulatory enforcement, research, and education programs, supported by proprietary compliance assessment frameworks and age assurance evaluation tools. A two-year longitudinal research partnership with Stanford University Social Media Lab tracks over 4,000 children and families to evaluate the social media minimum age policy.
eSafety is funded through statutory appropriations from the Australian Government and does not operate a commercial revenue model. The organization has no shareholders or equity funding rounds; incidental revenue from civil penalties imposed on non-compliant platforms (A$650,000 from X Corp, A$1 million from Telegram) flows back to consolidated revenue rather than funding operations. Service delivery is statutory rather than sales-driven, reaching Australians through the eSafety.gov.au portal, educational institutions, support service partnerships with 1800RESPECT, Kids Helpline, and Lifeline, and community training programs across demographic segments including children, young people, parents, educators, women, seniors, First Nations communities, LGBTIQ+ audiences, and the online platform industry.
Office of the eSafety Commissioner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Legal name
- Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Website
- https://esafety.gov.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator, established in 2015 and operating under the Online Safety Act 2021. It enforces civil penalties, removal notices, and education programs to protect Australians—particularly children—from cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and other online harms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Office of the eSafety Commissioner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Safety Regulation
- NAICS
- Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Protection, Privacy & Cybersecurity Regulators (BPAIAOAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Safeguarding, Student Welfare & Child Protection Compliance Audits (EDADAGAI), Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE), Incident Reporting, Risk Management & Mandatory Reporting Compliance (EDACAKAI)
Keywords
Where Office of the eSafety Commissioner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belconnen
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Office of the eSafety Commissioner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Office of the eSafety Commissioner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator that investigates complaints of cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, and illegal online content. It enforces statutory frameworks including the Online Safety Act 2021, Social Media Age Restrictions, and Age-Restricted Material Codes, and provides free educational resources, research publications, and digital literacy programs to Australians across all demographics.
Product overview
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator, established in 2015 and expanded under the Online Safety Act 2021. Rather than a single product, eSafety operates a portfolio of regulatory frameworks and services including: the eSafety Reporting System for investigating complaints of cyberbullying, adult abuse, and illegal content; the eSafety Guide for platform-specific safety guidance; the Social Media Age Restrictions Hub and Age-Restricted Material Codes (effective December 2025 and March 2026 respectively) governing platform compliance; Basic Online Safety Expectations for industry accountability; Education Programs delivering resources to schools, parents, and communities; Research Publications providing evidence-based insights; the Be Connected digital literacy program; and the Safety by Design initiative promoting proactive industry safeguards. Together these form an integrated regulatory and educational ecosystem addressing online harms across all demographics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.7-5 million underage accounts deactivated by platforms
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Office of the eSafety Commissioner
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Office of the eSafety Commissioner technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Office of the eSafety Commissioner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG)coreFormal Memorandum of Understanding between eSafety Commissioner and other Australian digital regulators including OAIC and ACMA to coordinate oversight of digital platforms. The agreement formalizes information sharing and coordinated regulatory responses on cross-cutting issues including scams, privacy, online safety, and competition concerns.
- Stanford University Social Media LabcoreAcademic partnership conducting a two-year longitudinal evaluation study tracking over 4,000 children and families to assess the impacts of Australia's social media minimum age restrictions. The study provides rigorous, independent assessment of policy effectiveness.
- Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG)coreCollaboration with UK Ofcom and EU regulators on age assurance technology solutions and trilateral technical cooperation group formed to address cross-border regulatory challenges.
- Indigico CreativeminorIndigenous creative agency partner contributing to development of First Nations online safety resources and artwork.
- Little RocketminorDigital agency partner supporting development of First Nations online safety content and resources.
- Paw MediaminorMedia organization contributing to First Nations online safety resources and community engagement.
- GaruwaminorAboriginal organization partner for First Nations digital safety initiatives.
- 33 CreativeminorCreative agency contributing to First Nations online safety content development.
- Safe 4 KidsminorChild safety organization supporting development of First Nations online safety education materials.
- National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA)coreGovernment agency partnership supporting coordinated approach to First Nations online safety and digital inclusion.
- Saltwater PeopleminorCommunity organization contributing to First Nations online safety resources and cultural guidance.
- Global Online Safety Regulators NetworkcoreInternational network of online safety regulators coordinating global approaches to platform regulation, age assurance standards, and enforcement best practices.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Office of the eSafety Commissioner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ofcom (UK): UK communications regulator with statutory responsibility for enforcing the Online Safety Act, including age-assurance requirements for children. Operates a comparable mandate over major platforms and is a direct cooperation partner to eSafety under the trilateral technical cooperation group.
- Coimisiún na Meán: Ireland's media and online safety regulator with statutory powers to enforce the Online Safety and Media Services Act. Closely comparable in scope (online safety codes, platform compliance, removal notices) and in jurisdictional focus on EU/global platforms serving Irish users.
- European Commission (DG-CNECT, DSA enforcement): Enforces the Digital Services Act across the EU, including systemic risk obligations for very large platforms and protections for minors online. Comparable in mandate (transparency, risk assessments, enforcement) and serves as eSafety's peer in trilateral cooperation on age-assurance technology.
- Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA, Singapore): Singapore's converged infocomm and media regulator with online safety codes covering social media services and content providers. Comparable in enforcing platform obligations, issuing codes of practice, and imposing penalties for non-compliance.
- Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand): Administers New Zealand's regulatory framework for harmful digital communications and online content, including a complaints system and platform-facing sanctions. Closely comparable in function and in operating as a smaller-jurisdiction regulator studying Australia's model.
Broad incumbents
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): US-based non-governmental organization operating the CyberTipline and coordinating reporting of online child sexual exploitation. Comparable in mandate around online child safety investigations and industry reporting, but operates under US law rather than as a statutory regulator.
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Canadian federal authority on cybersecurity and online threats, providing guidance and incident response. Overlaps with eSafety on platform-level safety guidance and public education, though its mandate is broader national cybersecurity rather than online harms.
- Internet Watch Foundation: UK-based non-profit operating an online child sexual abuse content hotline and contributing to platform takedown efforts. Comparable function to eSafety's illegal-content reporting portal, though focused on a single harm category rather than the full online safety portfolio.
- INHOPE: International network of internet hotlines for reporting child sexual abuse material, with member hotlines globally. Comparable to eSafety's illegal-content reporting role in mandate, but operates as a coordination network rather than a national regulator.
Regional players
- Netsafe New Zealand: New Zealand's online safety non-profit providing reporting, education, and advisory services on harmful digital communications. Comparable in service portfolio (helpline, education, industry engagement) and operates in a closely related Anglosphere jurisdiction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Office of the eSafety Commissioner social profiles
Digital presenceOffice of the eSafety Commissioner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Office of the eSafety Commissioner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Office of the eSafety Commissioner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Office of the eSafety Commissioner M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Office of the eSafety Commissioner
What does Office of the eSafety Commissioner do?
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent online safety regulator that investigates complaints of cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse, and illegal online content. It enforces statutory frameworks including the Online Safety Act 2021, Social Media Age Restrictions, and Age-Restricted Material Codes, and provides free educational resources, research publications, and digital literacy programs to Australians across all demographics.
Is Office of the eSafety Commissioner a public or private company?
Office of the eSafety Commissioner is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Office of the eSafety Commissioner founded?
Office of the eSafety Commissioner was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Office of the eSafety Commissioner based?
Office of the eSafety Commissioner is headquartered in Belconnen, Australia, in the Oceania region.
Who are Office of the eSafety Commissioner's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ofcom (UK), Coimisiún na Meán, European Commission (DG-CNECT, DSA enforcement), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA, Singapore) and Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand). Broad incumbents are National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Internet Watch Foundation and INHOPE. Netsafe New Zealand is listed as a regional player.
Does Office of the eSafety Commissioner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
What industry is Office of the eSafety Commissioner in?
Office of the eSafety Commissioner's product category is Online Safety Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAOAH, Data Protection, Privacy & Cybersecurity Regulators, with a secondary code of EDADAGAI, Safeguarding, Student Welfare & Child Protection Compliance Audits. Its NAICS code is 92615.