News summary produced by Claude AI
Australia’s online safety regulator has announced plans to examine whether adult websites are permitting users to circumvent age verification measures through the use of virtual private networks. The investigation comes as the eSafety Commissioner reported that approximately 90% of the most-visited pornography sites accessed by Australians have implemented age assurance mechanisms at the 18-plus threshold.
New codes introduced in March mandated that adult websites, along with AI companion chatbots and app stores, establish age verification systems to prevent minors from accessing pornography, extremely violent material, and self-harm content. In response, Aylo, the parent company operating several prominent adult platforms including Pornhub, transitioned its Australian service model by removing free pornographic content and restricting access to paid subscription tiers, effectively functioning as an age verification method.
Briefing documents prepared for Senate estimates hearings reveal that the eSafety Commissioner contacted 26 of the top 30 most-visited adult sites lacking age assurance mechanisms, resulting in some services implementing the required checks. According to monitoring data, no significant evidence emerged of users consolidating traffic to unregulated sites, with activity remaining concentrated among the top five platforms.
Media reports from earlier this year indicated a surge in Australian users downloading VPN applications to bypass the restrictions, as these tools allow users to appear as if accessing services from jurisdictions outside Australia’s regulatory framework. However, eSafety stated it had not detected VPN download patterns sufficient to fully account for observed user number decreases across major services. The regulator indicated that under the codes, platforms are expected to implement reasonable measures to prevent such workarounds, and compliance with these requirements will be evaluated during future assessments.