Australian downloads of VPN apps have skyrocketed as one of the world’s biggest pornography websites begins blocking Down Under users in protest of new age verification laws.
Aylo, a Canadian company operating explicit websites including Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn and Tube8, has placed restrictions on access by Australian users.
As a result, downloads for virtual private network apps have dramatically increased.
VPN Super Unlimited Proxy, is now ranked third for top downloads right under ChatGPT and Claude by Anthropic.
The free app has climbed 37 ranks in Australia from 40th place on March 2 to third place as of Sunday.
Proton VPN reached a whole new level, moving from 174th place to 19th, similar to NordVPN which 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.
This follows the new age verification laws due to take effect from Monday, March 9 – which Aylo was directly challenging last week.
Before, users could simply click “I am over 18” on platforms containing adult content, this has now been deemed insufficient.
New laws require websites hosting pornography and age restricted materials to implement safety measures including facial age estimation, digital wallet and photo ID.
These laws reflect phase 2 of the Online Safety Codes registered by the eSafety Commissioner to mandate strict age verification on materials identified as unsuitable for Australian users under the age of 18.
These age verification methods are already in place and used by major social media platforms across Australia under Australia’s under-16s social media ban.
Non-compliance carries penalties of up to $49.5m per breach.
Until Friday, March 7 several other platforms owned by Aylo, including RedTube, said it was “not currently accepting new account registration in your region”.
Pornhub is Aylo’s most popular website – ranking 15th as the most visited website in Australia.
By Monday, the site was displaying safe-for-work content on its homepage for Australians who had not logged in.
“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 company has previously taken similar action in the United Kingdom and France, but Aylo has a problematic reputation.
It has previously been found by the US Department of Justice in having profited from sex-trafficking proceeds.
Additionally, the US Federal Trade Commission charged Aylo for deceiving its users about efforts to remove child sexual abuse and non-consensual content from its pages.
Source : News.com.au