Home / Technology
Australians turn to VPNs as new online age checks block porn sites
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million
Australians rushed to download virtual private networks (VPNs) on Monday as new nationwide online age-verification rules came into effect, prompting some major pornography websites to block access for users in the country.
The measures follow legislation passed in December that made Australia the first nation to introduce a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media.
A separate law now requires online platforms, including AI chatbot services, to prevent minors from accessing certain harmful material such as pornography, extreme violence, self-harm, and eating-disorder content.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million (about $34.5 million).
The country has also joined several other jurisdictions — including United Kingdom and France — as well as numerous US states in requiring websites that host pornography to verify that users are at least 18 years old.
App stores must also conduct age checks before allowing downloads of software rated for adults.
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, said the rules are designed to extend existing protections for children into the online world.
Three of the 15 most downloaded free apps on Monday were VPN services, according to charts published by Apple Inc..
The most downloaded, VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked ahead of several social media platforms.
VPNs allow users to mask their location by routing internet traffic through different servers.
Meanwhile, Canada-based Aylo restricted Australian access to some of its major sites, blocking users from RedTube and YouPorn and offering a limited version of Pornhub without explicit content.
The platforms displayed notices saying they were not accepting new account registrations from the region.