How are Aussies watching pornhub? VPN downloads surge in Australia as porn age verification laws block access
Australians trying to access pornography websites are encountering new age checks — this is how many Aussies are already finding ways around them.
Australians trying to access pornography online are encountering something new: a digital ID check.
From this week, stricter age-verification rules have come into force, requiring websites hosting explicit material to confirm users are over 18 and they are doing this through using tools such as facial age estimation, photo identification or digital identity verification.
The change is designed to stop children from accessing adult content online. But it is already producing an unintended side effect: a surge in Australians downloading technology designed to bypass the restrictions altogether.
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For years, most adult websites relied on little more than an honour system, which was simply asking users to click a box confirming they were over 18.
Under Australia’s updated online safety rules, that approach is no longer considered adequate.
Websites hosting pornography or other age-restricted content are now expected to introduce stronger safeguards, including facial age estimation technology, digital identity verification systems or photo ID checks.
The rules form part of the second phase of the Online Safety Act, overseen by the eSafety Commissioner and apply to platforms hosting material considered to be unsuitable for users under the age of 18.
Companies that fail to comply face penalties of up to $49.5 million per breach.
Why are age restrictions being introduced?
The charges stem from the sweeping law aimed at strengthening protections for Australians online. The legislation introduced expanded regulatory powers for the eSafety Commissioner and created a world-first Adult Cyber Abuse Scheme for Australians aged 18 and older.
The scheme allows adults experiencing serious online abuse to report harmful content and have it removed across a wide range of digital services and platforms.
But a key goal of the broader online safety framework is to limit young people’s exposure to explicit material online — an issue that has increasingly concerned governments globally as smartphones and social media make adult content easier to access.
Pornhub’s response
One of the world’s largest adult entertainment companies has opted to restrict access rather than implement the new checks.
Canadian company Aylo, which operates Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn and Tube8, has blocked access for many Australian users to its free services.
Pornhub is the company’s most popular platform and ranks as the 15th most-visited website in Australia.
Until Friday, March 7, several other platforms owned by Aylo, including RedTube, said it was “not currently accepting new account registration in your region”.
By Monday, Pornhub’s homepage for Australian users who were not logged in was displaying only safe-for-work content.
“The company has indicated it will comply with age check requirements for paid, age-restricted services in the Australian market,” a spokesperson from eSafety said.
“Aylo has indicated it will only offer ‘safe for work’ content on its free services in the Australian market instead of implementing age-check requirements for age-restricted material on its free services. This is ultimately a business decision for them.”
The internet workaround
The restrictions have quickly led many Australians to look for ways around them.
Downloads of virtual private network (VPN) apps, which are tools that mask a user’s internet location, have surged across Australia since the restrictions were introduced.
VPN Super Unlimited Proxy is now ranked third for top downloads in Australia, sitting just below ChatGPT and Claude by Anthropic.
The free app climbed 37 ranks in Australia from 40th place on March 2 to third place as of Sunday, Financial Review reported.
Proton VPN also surged, moving from 174th place to 19th, while NordVPN jumped from 189th to 13th.
VPN apps mask the user’s IP address, allowing them to bypass geographical restrictions, similar to the ones imposed on Australians by Aylo, and access restricted content.
By connecting to servers in other countries through VPN software, users can appear to be browsing from outside Australia.
This allows them to bypass geographic blocks or restrictions placed on Australian internet traffic.
The technology is commonly used to access streaming libraries in other regions, but it is now increasingly being used to view adult content that has been restricted locally.
Is your information safe?
The new verification systems have also raised questions about privacy and data security.
Age checks may involve uploading identification documents, submitting a facial scan or linking a digital identity wallet to prove a user’s age.
Privacy advocates have warned that storing sensitive personal information linked to adult website use could create security risks if the data were breached.
The eSafety Commissioner says platforms implementing age verification must meet strict privacy and security standards.
A global trend
Australia is not alone in tightening restrictions on online pornography.
Governments in countries including the United Kingdom, France and several US states have introduced similar rules aimed at preventing minors from accessing explicit content.
In some cases, adult platforms have responded by blocking access entirely rather than introducing verification technology.
