Pornography websites are blocking the access of Australian users ahead of new age verification laws set to take effect on Monday, 9 March.
Aylo, the Canadian parent company of Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn, and Tube8, has started restrictions to its sites for Australians.
The move is in protest of the mandate that users verify their age to access R-rated video games and websites. The company has previously taken similar action in the United Kingdom and France.
Australian users have reported receiving notifications about account registrations in their region.
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Social media and pornography websites age verification rules
The Age-Restricted Material Codes require online platforms to restrict children’s access to harmful material. This includes pornography, violence, and self-harm content.
Adults will still access legal adult content but must prove their age, making simple declarations insufficient. The measures aim to reflect age restrictions on social media platforms, which prevent users under 16 from creating accounts.
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.
The new law requires websites hosting pornography and age-restricted material to implement safety measures including facial age estimation, digital wallets and photo ID.
“In these codes, harmful content will be met with helplines rather than providing easy access to dangerous materials,” stated eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
The Commissioner told The Guardian in 2021: “My role as a regulator is to protect all Australians from online harm, it’s not to throttle the sex industry. What happens between consenting adults is not my concern, as long as it’s not harming others.”
Companies breaching the codes could face fines of up to $49.5 million.
Top image: A screenshot of Pornhubs’s entry page. Image: Pornhub