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The guide

Streaming Services.com.au

Thursday 8 October 2026

Ch 4 · Controls

Profiles and parental controls for safer viewing

Most streaming services provide age-based parental controls, and many let you block content by its classification rating. eSafety’s advice is to set controls on every internet-connected device a child uses, review them regularly, and use them alongside supervision, because no parental control tool is 100% effective.

General information. The eSafety Commissioner has current advice for parents and carers.

7.00Feature

What a control can and cannot do

eSafety describes parental controls as software tools that let you monitor and limit what a child sees and does online. They can be set up to:

  • block particular websites, apps or functions, such as the camera or the ability to buy things;
  • filter kinds of content, such as adult or sexual content, or content promoting self-harm, violence, drugs or gambling;
  • limit who can contact a child, and manage the apps they use to talk to others;
  • report on the sites and apps a child uses, how often and for how long;
  • set time limits that block access after a set length of time.

eSafety is clear that controls work best alongside supervision and other safety habits. Both abusers and children can find ways around them, and helping a child build good online safety habits is just as important.

7.30Lifestyle

Where the settings live

For viewing at home, controls can sit at several levels.

Where controls can be set, from the outside in Five nested frames. The outermost is the home Wi-Fi network. Inside it is the device: a smart TV, console, tablet or phone. Inside that is the streaming service account, then a child’s profile, and at the centre a limit by classification rating. 1 · HOME WI-FI NETWORK 2 · DEVICE: TV, CONSOLE, TABLET, PHONE 3 · SERVICE ACCOUNT 4 · CHILD’S PROFILE 5 · LIMIT BY RATING
Drawn for this guide from eSafety’s advice on parental controls, which runs from Wi-Fi routers to devices to services and accounts, and the Australian Classification note that many services let you block content by rating.

1. The home Wi-Fi network

Some routers let you set controls across the whole network, so the rules apply to every connected device: laptops, tablets, phones, game consoles and smart TVs. Some internet providers supply routers with parental control features.

2. The device

Most smart TVs provide some form of parental control, even if only a code that locks certain features, and every major game console provides parental controls. eSafety also suggests disconnecting a TV from the internet if you are not using its smart features. Controls are not usually switched on automatically, so check them from time to time, including after software updates.

3 and 4. The service and the profile

eSafety names several subscription streaming services that all provide parental controls, and notes that not every catch-up TV platform offers filters. If a device or program is shared by family members, eSafety says you should be able to change its settings to suit each user’s age, maturity and skills.

5. The rating

Many services let you block content based on its classification rating. The ratings and the consumer advice beside them are explained in Ch 3.

8.00How-to

A setup checklist

  • Every device a child uses. Phones, laptops, tablets, game consoles and smart TVs all need their own settings.
  • Devices in other people’s care. Set controls on devices your child may use with other family members and friends too.
  • Separate accounts for different ages. Where children of different ages share a device, help them set up separate user accounts with strong passphrases, and lock or log out when they finish.
  • Supervise shared viewing. When children of different ages use a device together, eSafety suggests a trusted adult supervises, so older children do not expose younger ones to mature content by accident.
  • Protect your own viewing. Passphrase-protect your devices, and consider deleting browser histories and turning off auto-complete, so a child does not stumble on what an adult watched.
  • Check again after updates. Settings can change when device software updates.
  • Review as they grow. Controls should be reviewed and updated regularly.

8.30Drama

Together, not over their shoulder

eSafety suggests involving your child in choosing controls where you can, or at least explaining which you plan to use and why. Working on the decision together can reduce stress, build trust and make the boundaries easier to follow, and a child who feels trusted is more likely to come to you when it matters.

It is just as clear about going too far. Controls should match a child’s age and maturity, which usually means easing them as the child gets older. If a child discovers they were being monitored secretly, it can damage trust and stop them coming to you for help.

A family tech agreement

eSafety offers a family tech agreement to help a household decide together when, where and how devices and accounts are used.

9.00News

Accounts for under-16s on social platforms

eSafety says that since 10 December 2025, “age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or having an account”. eSafety’s list of those platforms includes some video-sharing and live-streaming services. It adds that no online platform or service is risk-free, especially for children, and that platforms’ extra safety features for users under 18 should not be relied on to switch on by default.

9.30Help

Where to read more