Canberra, Australia. Australians downloaded virtual private networks in large numbers on Monday as the country rolled out sweeping online age restrictions, while porn distributor Aylo said it was blocking users from parts of its platforms.
New restrictions on minors and adult content
Last December, Australia became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires AI-powered chatbot services to keep certain content, including pornography, extreme violence, self-harm, and eating disorder material, from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million).
Australia also joined Britain, France and dozens of U.S. states in requiring websites that disseminate pornography to verify users are over 18. App stores must run age checks before allowing downloads of software labelled 18+.
Regulator says measures mirror offline protections
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the measures aimed to afford children the same protection online as expected offline.
“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,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“This just really brings … those protections that we put for kids in place to the digital realm.”
VPN apps rise in download rankings
Three of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps on Monday were VPNs, according to a chart published by iPhone maker Apple AAPL.O. The most downloaded VPN, called VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked ahead of any social media platform, the chart showed.
VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. All internet-connected devices carry an individual code which discloses their location, and VPNs hide the user’s location by assigning a new code to the device.
Aylo blocks access to some sites in Australia
Canada-based Aylo, owner of a large network of pornography websites, blocked Australians from accessing the platforms RedTube and YouPorn, while presenting a version of Pornhub without explicit content.
All the websites carried a banner saying it was “not currently accepting new account registrations in your region”.
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