Australia news live: eSafety warns online gaming can cause 'serious harms' to children

Australia's eSafety regulator has warned that online gaming can cause "serious harms" to children, raising concerns about risks young users face on gaming platforms.

The warning was one of several developments covered in a live news blog tracking events across Australia, which also noted that the New South Wales government has pledged to regulate labour hire in the state.

Child safety concerns

eSafety's warning adds to a broader ongoing conversation in Australia and internationally about the risks online platforms, including gaming environments, can pose to children, ranging from exposure to inappropriate content to contact from strangers and pressure around in-game spending.

The regulator did not detail specific new enforcement measures tied to the warning in the material available, though such statements from eSafety often accompany broader public awareness efforts aimed at parents and platform operators.

Labour hire pledge

Separately, the NSW government said it would regulate labour hire arrangements in the state if re-elected, describing the move as intended to protect both workers and businesses from exploitative labour hire providers. The government framed the policy as part of a zero-tolerance approach to worker exploitation.

Both developments were part of a broader rolling live-news coverage of Australian current events, which also touched on other topics including energy projects such as a solar farm linked to Atlassian.