Major adult websites have started blocking Australian users ahead of a March 15 deadline requiring age verification for all online pornography, with several platforms displaying messages stating they are "not currently accepting new account registrations in your region."
The Guardian reports that multiple adult content platforms have begun geo-blocking Australian IP addresses rather than implement the government's mandatory age verification system.
The federal government's Online Safety Amendment requires all websites hosting adult content to verify that users are over 18 through government-approved digital identity systems or face penalties of up to $50 million.
Mate, welcome to the great Australian internet blockade. We've gone from blocking websites at the ISP level to having the websites themselves decide we're not worth the regulatory hassle.
Industry groups warned this would happen. The adult entertainment industry association told Parliament last year that rather than implement complex age verification systems with liability risks and privacy concerns, many international platforms would simply block Australian users entirely.
Privacy advocates have raised significant concerns about the verification systems, which require Australians to submit government ID or use digital identity platforms that track which adult websites they visit.
Lizzie O'Shea, chair of Digital Rights Watch, said the policy creates a "detailed record of Australians' most private online activities" without meaningfully protecting children, who can easily use VPNs to bypass geo-blocks.
The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant defended the requirement, stating that Australia has a "duty to protect children from harmful content" and that approved verification systems meet privacy standards.
But the blocking has already begun. Several major platforms now display messages to Australian users:
