Sunday, July 12, 2026HotTea verified storyVerified 5:36 AM PDT
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Australia's age-check regime reached most major adult sites; VPN workarounds are the next test.

Australia's eSafety regulator says about 90% of the pornography sites most visited by Australians in 2025 now use age assurance after March codes covered adult sites, AI companion chatbots, app stores, and other services carrying restricted material.

Verified 5:36 AM PDT · 1 original sources

The evidence

What the reporting establishes

What happened

Australia's eSafety regulator says about 90% of the pornography sites most visited by Australians in 2025 now use age assurance after March codes covered adult sites, AI companion chatbots, app stores, and other services carrying restricted material.

Pressure point

Implementation by the largest sites does not establish that minors are blocked or privacy is protected. VPNs can make users appear outside Australia, and the regulator is still assessing whether platforms take reasonable steps against workarounds.

What to watch

Compliance findings for the top 30 sites, measured migration to uncontrolled services, VPN detection practices, privacy complaints, enforcement actions, and evidence that access by minors actually declines.

Audit the story

Original sources

Company claims remain company claims. Follow the reporting and judge the evidence directly.

  1. The GuardianUse of VPNs to bypass age checks on porn sites to be investigated by Australia's eSafety watchdog

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