Overview
- Six industry codes took effect on March 9 under the Online Safety Act, requiring proof of age for access to adult content and carrying penalties of up to A$49.5 million per breach.
- Covered services include pornography sites, app stores, gaming providers and social platforms that permit adult or self-harm material, which must use robust age assurance rather than simple self‑declaration.
- Aylo curtailed access in Australia by blocking RedTube and YouPorn and offering a non‑explicit version of Pornhub, with notices saying new account registrations are unavailable.
- VPN downloads spiked in Australia ahead of the rollout, with Super Unlimited Proxy climbing from 40th to 7th among free iPhone apps as users sought workarounds.
- Governments elsewhere are following the trend, with Indonesia announcing a March 28 start for an under‑16 social‑media ban without published enforcement details, and the UK opening a consultation on possible limits.