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Australia's Age Walls Drive VPN Downloads
10 Mar
Summary
- New laws in Australia restrict adult content for minors.
- VPN app downloads have sharply increased due to new laws.
- Similar VPN restrictions are being considered globally.
New legislation enacted in Australia is prompting a significant increase in Virtual Private Network (VPN) app downloads. These laws mandate that adult websites and app stores implement age restrictions for individuals under 18. Additionally, AI companies must ensure their chatbots do not display sensitive or adult material to minors.
Major adult entertainment websites have begun restricting access to users in Australia who cannot confirm their age, a move that follows a nationwide ban on social media use for teenagers and younger children implemented last December. This has resulted in VPN-related applications becoming prominent among free downloads, with three of the top 15 free iPhone apps being VPNs as of Monday.
The trend of restricting online access and the subsequent use of VPNs to bypass these measures is not isolated to Australia. Lawmakers in the United States, including Michigan and Wisconsin, are exploring proposals to limit or ban VPN usage. Wisconsin's proposed law aims to compel adult sites to block VPN traffic, while Michigan's seeks an outright ban. In England, a similar proposal to prohibit VPN use by minors is currently under review.
