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.