VPN downloads surge in Australia after age checks hit porn sites, online games, and social media

[midian182]

In context: In an entirely unsurprising turn of events, VPN downloads have spiked in Australia after the country rolled out new age-verification rules on Monday. Following a similar law that affects social media platforms, Australians are now also required to verify their age when playing R18+ online games (including GTA Online), pornography websites, explicit chatbots, and other services.

Following the introduction of the new online safety codes, VPN apps have shot up the Australian free iPhone app chart. VPN Super Unlimited Proxy moved from 40th place to 7th, Proton VPN moved from 174th to 19th, and NordVPN went from 189th to 13th, according to Sensor Tower data.

Several of the world's largest porn sites, including RedTube, YouPorn, and Tube8, have posted messages on their sites for users with Australian IPs. These messages state that the platforms are currently not accepting new account registrations in Australia.

The Guardian reports that PornHub, the world's largest porn site, is displaying only safe-for-work content on its home page for users who are not logged in.

The UK, France, and several US states have introduced similar age verification laws, which in some cases have led to PornHub and its parent company Aylo blocking access to the platform in those locations. They also led to a spike in VPN use. Aylo said it introduced these blocks because of "ineffective and haphazard age verification laws."

Also affected are online games with R18+ ratings. While it doesn't affect a huge number of titles, one of the most prominent is GTA Online, which has at least 400,000 players in Australia.

Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that failure to comply with the code can result in penalties of up to AU$49.5 million (about US$34.8 million) for each breach.

"A child today can't walk into a bar and order a drink, they can't stroll into a strip club or browse an adult shop or sit down at a blackjack table in a casino," Grant told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

In December, Australia introduced the world's first social media ban on under 16s. The legislation requires Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube to verify the ages of Australian users and close the accounts of those identified as under 16.

The age verification systems must involve more than ticking a checkbox. For the social media law, some sites use facial age estimation technology. In addition to the privacy concerns of this method, many teenagers have bypassed these scans by making unusual facial expressions, applying makeup, or using VPNs.

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VPN downloads surge in Australia after age checks hit porn sites, online games, and social media

 

[MasterAce]

Porn sites are now taking mug shots of their users, sounds perfectly fine

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

This should surprise no one. Beyond national security and maintaining infrastructure governments should just stop meddling in irrelevant issues.

 

[Xelions]

Haha Soon everyone will use a VPN. Chinaustralia say what!?

 

[umeng2002]

Have they tried banning crimes? You make crimes illegal, and they always stop.

 

[Aus spot]

Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant Is a karen from the US with clear socialist/authoritarian agenda. She is taking ordinary Australians through the highest courts to throw them in jail for expressing an opinion that disagrees with hers.

These bans are only affecting legal websites, and if you have to buy a vpn subscription, you may as well get free product from non rights controlled sites.

 

[Karlos95]

Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant Is a karen from the US with clear socialist/authoritarian agenda. She is taking ordinary Australians through the highest courts to throw them in jail for expressing an opinion that disagrees with hers.

These bans are only affecting legal websites, and if you have to buy a vpn subscription, you may as well get free product from non rights controlled sites.

Coming to USA soon through Palantir.

 

[p51d007]

Color me SHOCKED! Not.

 

[TheUsername]

When will governments start holding parents accountable for giving their children unrestricted internet access instead of forcing these companies to parent their children??

 

[Loadedaxe]

When will governments start holding parents accountable for giving their children unrestricted internet access instead of forcing these companies to parent their children??

This!!

They wont though, if they did there would be no where to keep all of the irresponsible parents.

The internet has quietly replaced the babysitter.
Instead of supervision, many kids just get an unrestricted smartphone...keeping them occupied, in their room, and out of the way.

 

[BobHome]

I guess if young ones can't play "Let's Steal Cars", that's okay, right???

 

[Suisam]

LOL people are just going to access <stuff> via other means like torrenting, VPN or bypass the verification checks using dodgy ID's etc.. The kids will find ways around it and tell each other because lets face it, they are not entirely stupid....

My biggest worry is security of all the personal data the sites can gather. Not all websites that have this verification forced on them will have adequate security or can afford it. This is one(or more) massive breach waiting to happen.... privacy.....what privacy...

Also this is going to work just as well as alcohol prohibition did in the USA.....

Parenting should be left for the parents to do. Stupid Karen Gov