Shiny Side Out - 711 - News - 26th October 2025

Shiny Side Out is a radio show on Revolution Radio (Studio A)

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[SFX: subtle ticking clock or low electronic hum]
Host (warm, conversational):
Good evening, you’re listening to Shiny Side Out. I’m [Your Name]. Tonight I want to alert you to some major changes coming to how we use the internet — and what they could mean for our freedom of speech.
From 10 December 2025, the Australian government plans to roll out new internet — age and identity verification policies for anyone 16 and over. Combined with newly-emerging social cohesion laws, the message is clear: what you post online may not stay anonymous — and you could be held legally accountable for content that the government considers harmful to social cohesion.
Let’s break that down.
First: identity checks & internet access
The legislation known as the Digital ID Act 2024 was passed earlier this year. It establishes a national digital identity system (the Australian Government Digital Identity System) that will allow online platforms and services to verify user identity.
Meanwhile, industry codes under the Online Safety Act 2021 are being developed, which signal that from December 2025, users of search engines, social media platforms and many online services may face mandatory age verification or face-recognition/ID checks.
So: from 10 December 2025, logging into many parts of the internet could require proof of who you are.
Second: social cohesion laws
At the same time, the federal department of Department of Home Affairs defines ‘social cohesion’ as central to national identity and security.
Department of Home Affairs Website
In plain English: the government is signalling it will more strictly regulate speech and behaviour that undermines shared values — whether online or offline.
Third: international precedent
Across the pond, in the UK, thousands of people are already being arrested each year for “offensive” online posts. Arrests for online posts deemed grossly offensive or menacing rose from about 5,500 in 2017 to over 12,000 in 2023.
Courts have handed down custodial sentences for online posts that incite racial hatred or attack vulnerable groups.
While Australia’s laws aren’t yet identical, the convergence of identity verification plus social-cohesion policing raises a red flag.
What this means for you and me
If you post online, even anonymously today, tomorrow you may be required to link your identity with the post.
Speech that government deems harmful to “social cohesion” may be under legal scrutiny — especially if it targets race, religion, or minority groups.
Platforms will be under pressure to monitor and remove content; combined with ID requirements, that makes back-tracking accountability far easier for law enforcement.
The line between public interest and free speech becomes blurrier — one day you might just be posting a sarcastic meme; the next you might be investigated for “undermining social cohesion.”
Even if you don’t post, using many logged-in services (search engines, social media) may trigger verification – meaning your digital actions become more traceable than ever.
Why we should care
Because this isn’t just about children or dangerous content. The digital ID laws are broad, and the social cohesion laws have wide interpretative space. When you combine them, you get a system where your identity, your online speech, and your access to services are all bound together — and potentially subject to legal risk if your speech crosses a line set by the state.

Final word
So: next time you log in, think twice about what you click, what you post, what you share. Because from December 10 2025, the internet in Australia may feel very different — more verifiable, more monitored, more accountable. And that means more risk when you speak your mind.
Stay safe, stay aware. I’m [Your Name]. You’re listening to Shiny Side Out. We’ll be back in just a moment.
[SFX: fade out ticking clock]