Australia's porn age-verification goes live
Key Questions
What is Australia's new porn age-verification policy?
Australia has rolled out federal age verification (AV) for porn sites, including blocks and safe modes to restrict access. The eSafety Commissioner is probing Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for failures in protecting users under 16. Fines for non-compliance can reach AU$49.5 million.
How are Australians bypassing the age verification blocks?
VPN usage has surged, with free guides like those for ExpressVPN to unblock Pornhub. Services such as ExpressVPN are recommended as the best for accessing blocked porn sites from Australia.
What impact do age verification laws have on sex educators?
A Woodhull survey indicates 18% of sex educators are harmed by AV laws, rising to 33% in states with AV mandates. Separate surveys suggest these laws decrease sex workers' incomes and disrupt educators' work.
Did any US states or leaders reject age verification bills?
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed a bill mandating age verification on pornography websites. The veto occurred in Madison, preventing operators from verifying user ages.
What Gen Z sex trends are linked to this highlight?
One-in-three students admit to a bizarre Gen Z sex trend involving phone-scrolling during sex, with 35% reportedly doing so. Stories highlight Gen Z addiction issues amid broader discussions.
Federal AV rollout with blocks/safe modes; VPN surges including free Pornhub unblock guides (e.g., ExpressVPN), fines AU$49.5M; eSafety probes FB/TikTok/YouTube under-16 failures. Woodhull survey shows 18% sex educators hit/33% in AV states; WI Gov Evers vetoes AV; Gen Z addiction stories including 35% phone-scrolling during sex.