Australia’s eSafety Watchdog Investigates Use of VPNs for Bypassing Age Checks on Porn Sites

• eSafety will assess whether adult sites allow users to bypass age verification with virtual private networks (VPNs).
• Around 90% of the most-visited adult sites by Australians now have age checks.
• The eSafety regulator has been monitoring compliance among top 30 Australian sites and contacted 26 without proper age assurance.

Compliance Monitoring

The online safety regulator, known as eSafety, is closely watching the implementation of new age verification laws for adult content. According to documents released under freedom of information requests, approximately 90% of the most visited adult sites used by Australians now incorporate some form of age assurance.

Aylo – the parent company of popular adult websites like Pornhub – initially blocked access for Australian users but has since removed pornographic content from its free version and is only allowing users to access it via a subscription model that serves as an age check.

Surge in VPN Downloads

A recent Guardian Australia report highlighted a notable increase in Australian users downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) to evade these restrictions. These tools can mask a user's location, potentially allowing them access to content restricted by age verification protocols. In March 2026, the regulator noted that while there is no evidence of significant peaks in VPN downloads related to the drop in user numbers on top five sites, they remain vigilant about potential workarounds.

eSafety’s Approach

In briefing documents prepared for Senate estimates hearings and released recently, eSafety stated that it had not observed significant peaks in VPN downloads related to the drop in user numbers on top five sites. The regulator emphasized that while there is no evidence of users consolidating their access to a single service, they remain vigilant about potential workarounds. For example, the documents revealed that as of 30 April 2026, 4chan had received millions of site visits from Australian users in the preceding year, compared to Facebook at over two billion and Reddit at almost one and a half billion.

Future Plans and Comparisons

The eSafety commissioner has indicated that she will assess whether adult content websites are effectively preventing such workarounds as part of her compliance checks. Similar to the expectations set for social media platforms, eSafety expects sites to take reasonable steps to block VPN use. The commissioner emphasized that while 4chan was excluded from the social media ban due to its lower usage, eSafety is monitoring whether users might be migrating to other sites without age controls.

The UK has also been preparing to follow Australia’s lead in its own social media ban, with officials suggesting that VPNs could be regulated – including requiring age checks for users. However, as of now, Australia has focused on ensuring platforms are detecting the use of such workarounds rather than regulating them directly.

Despite these measures, eSafety remains concerned about potential loopholes and is committed to maintaining robust compliance monitoring mechanisms. The regulator continues to evaluate methods to prevent users from bypassing age verification protocols, including ongoing assessments of websites and user behavior patterns.

In conclusion, the implementation of new age verification laws for adult content in Australia has seen significant progress with most top 30 sites now incorporating age assurance measures. However, eSafety remains vigilant about potential workarounds such as VPN usage and will continue to monitor compliance closely. As regulatory frameworks evolve both domestically and internationally, efforts to ensure online safety and protect younger users from harmful content remain a key focus for the regulator.