Australians are flocking to VPNs in the wake of online age restriction laws

A A new set of laws in Australia Requiring adult websites and app stores to age-restrict content to those under 18, and requiring AI companies to restrict chatbot offerings from showing certain types of sensitive or adult content to minors, appears to be prompting many to… Download VPN apps there.

Major adult sites have closed their virtual doors to those whose ages have not been confirmed in Australia, and the changes come in the wake of a national ban on teenagers and young children using social media. Which took effect in December.

According to reports from Reuters, The Guardian Others, in response to the ban, downloads of VPN-related apps, which people can use to circumvent location-based restrictions, are rising sharply. According to Reuters, three of the country’s 15 most downloaded free iPhone apps were virtual private network (VPN) related as new laws went into effect on Monday.

Lawmakers in some regions, including the United States, are well aware that people use VPNs in this way. And in states like Michigan and Wisconsin, Laws are proposed To limit or completely block VPN use. A proposed Wisconsin law would require adult sites to block VPN traffic, while a Michigan proposal would ban VPN use entirely in the state.

There is also a proposal in England under consideration To prohibit the use of VPN by minors. This proposal is currently under review.