Australian insurers urge balance in children’s online privacy rules
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has submitted recommendations to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) concerning the development of the upcoming Children’s Online Privacy Code. While insurers support stronger protections for children online, the ICA emphasizes that any new compliance requirements should be proportionate to real risks and should not impede insurance operations.
Specifically, the ICA warns that overly burdensome or duplicate rules could slow claims processing or hinder fraud detection. Insurers have pledged to enhance the customer experience—including faster, more efficient handling of claims and complaints—and urge a risk-based approach that avoids unnecessary administrative obstacles, especially those that may prevent children from accessing insurance (directly or through guardians) .
The ICA acknowledged that while interactions between insurers and minors occur—such as in motor, travel, contents, CTP, or workers’ compensation cases—most involve a parent or guardian. It’s also rare for children under age 13 to deal directly with insurers .
Furthermore, insurers already operate under several privacy and financial services regulations: including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Insurance Contracts Act, the Corporations Act, the ASIC Act, and the General Insurance Code of Practice. Due to this existing framework, the ICA recommends that the OAIC consider either exemptions or limited application of the new code for insurers—highlighting, for example, how the UK excludes insurers from its corresponding child privacy code .
