From this week, Australians must verify their age to access porn online.
PornHub has responded by blocking anyone who doesn’t have an account from watching its porn videos. It is also not accepting any new accounts.
It is part of a range of new codes enforced by the eSafety Commissioner aimed at protecting children online.
Here’s what you need to know.
Context
In September, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant announced new restrictions covering adult and violent content online.
"There are certain things children are not physically, developmentally or emotionally equipped to deal with and so we have to put in age barriers to protect them," Inman Grant said.
From today, it is a legal requirement for all porn sites in Australia to verify the age of its users.
Age verification
Previously, users could simply click a button confirming they were 18 or older.
Sites are now required to actively verify that users meet the age threshold. The specific method is up to each platform, but options include photo ID, facial age estimation, credit card checks, or confirmation from a parent.
The eSafety Commissioner has said companies must "minimise the collection of personal information" and comply with privacy laws if they choose to collect personal data.
The laws also go further than just porn sites.
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Similar restrictions are now in place on app stores, online gaming sites, AI chatbots and social media platofrms that enable access to pornographic or violent content.
Companies that fail to comply face penalties of nearly $50 million.
PornHub
PornHub's parent company, Aylo, has responded by blocking anyone who doesn’t already have an account from watching porn on the website.
It has also blocked users from creating new accounts.
This means Australians are unable to view porn material on PornHub unless they had an account prior to today.
Aylo's other sites, including RedTube and YouPorn, are also blocking Australian users from viewing content altogether.
Aylo has argued that age verification "does not effectively protect minors, and instead creates harms relating to data privacy and exposure to illegal content on non-compliant platforms."
The company has previously argued that requiring hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect sensitive personal information puts user safety at risk.
Overseas
Australia isn't the first country to go down this path. Similar laws have been introduced in the UK, France, and several U.S. states.
When age verification laws came into force in the UK last year, PornHub saw a 47% drop in traffic within a month — alongside a significant spike in the use of VPNs to circumvent the restrictions.
Last month, Aylo announced it would also stop new UK users from registering accounts, similar to what is now happening in Australia.
