Australians rushed to download virtual private network (VPN) apps on Monday as sweeping new online age-verification rules came into force.
The measures follow legislation passed last December that made Australia the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media.
A separate law now requires AI-powered chatbot services to block minors from accessing content such as pornography, extreme violence and material related to self-harm or eating disorders, with penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million) for violations.
Australia has also joined the United Kingdom, France and several U.S. states in requiring websites that host pornography to verify that users are over 18.
App stores must also conduct age checks before allowing downloads of applications rated for adults.
Julie Inman Grant, the country’s eSafety Commissioner, said the rules are intended to give children the same protections online that exist offline.
“A child today can’t walk into a bar and order a drink or enter a casino,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “These protections need to exist in the digital realm as well.”
Following the rollout, three of the 15 most downloaded free apps on Apple’s iPhone charts in Australia were VPN services. The most downloaded, VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked ahead of several social media platforms.
Meanwhile, Canada-based company Aylo blocked Australian access to several of its websites, including RedTube and YouPorn, while showing a restricted version of Pornhub without explicit content.
Advocacy group Digital Rights Watch said it was unsurprising that many users were turning to VPNs, which can hide a device’s location by routing internet traffic through different servers.
