You may have seen headlines about a new "digital duty of care" law in Australia. If you run a cleaning or service business with a website, here is the plain-English version: what is actually proposed, what is not law yet, and what is worth checking this week.
What is proposed
The Australian Government released an exposure draft of the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 on 8 September 2026. Public consultation closed on 22 September 2026. The idea is that the person responsible for an online service must take reasonable steps, so far as is reasonably practicable, to keep that service a safe place for the people who use it.
The draft would apply 12 months after the Bill receives Royal Assent, and it allows the Minister to exempt low-risk services. The maximum civil penalty in the draft is 60,000 penalty units.
What is not true yet
It is not law. It is an exposure draft, and it may change before it reaches Parliament. The focus is on larger platforms, such as social media, messaging, gaming and similar services where users interact and children may be at risk. A normal business website that shows your services and takes quote requests is a very different thing.
The related changes that are closer to home
Privacy reform is moving at the same time, including the next stage of changes to the Privacy Act and a Children's Online Privacy Code. If you collect names, phone numbers, addresses or photos through your website, privacy expectations are the part most likely to touch you.
A simple website checklist for service businesses
Have a clear privacy policy that says what you collect, why, and who can see it.
Collect only what you need on your forms. A name, number and suburb is usually enough to quote.
Do not ask for children's details, and do not run features that let strangers talk to each other on your site.
If you show reviews or comments, moderate them and remove anything abusive.
Keep your site and software updated, and use strong passwords with two-step sign-in.
Make it easy for someone to ask you to delete their details.
What we do at Growth by AETOS
We build client websites with minimal data collection, a privacy policy page, and no features that let strangers interact. We are watching this Bill and the privacy changes, and we will update the checklist above when anything is confirmed.
This article is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure how any law applies to your business, speak to a lawyer. Details above were current on 18 October 2026 and may change.
