The surge in VPN usage comes as authorities implement tougher digital safety regulations that require websites and app platforms to verify users’ ages before granting access to certain services. The policy is part of a broader effort by the government of Australia to strengthen protections for children on the internet.
The country had already taken a major step last December by becoming the first nation to introduce a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media platforms.
Under the new framework, companies offering AI-powered chatbot services must prevent minors from accessing harmful material—including pornography, extreme violence, self-harm and eating disorder-related content—or face penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million).
Age verification rules expand
Australia has also joined countries such as the United Kingdom and France, along with several states in the United States, in requiring websites that distribute pornography to verify that users are at least 18 years old.
In addition, mobile app stores must now conduct age checks before allowing users to download software labelled for adults.
According to Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the regulations are designed to ensure that children receive the same protections online as they do in physical environments.
“A child today can’t walk into a bar and order a drink, stroll into a strip club, browse an adult shop, or sit down at a blackjack table in a casino,” she said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“This brings those protections we expect for kids in the real world into the digital realm.”
VPN demand spikes
Despite the new restrictions, early signs suggest that many users are trying to bypass the rules.
Data published by Apple showed that three of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps in Australia on Monday were VPN services.
The most popular app, VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked above any social media platform on the download charts.
VPNs allow users to mask their location by rerouting internet traffic through servers in other countries, effectively bypassing geographic restrictions imposed by websites or governments.
Adult sites block Australian users
Meanwhile, Canada-based company Aylo—one of the world’s largest operators of adult websites—has restricted access to several of its platforms in Australia.
Users attempting to access sites such as RedTube and YouPorn are currently blocked, while a modified version of Pornhub is available without explicit content.
A notice on the sites states that they are “not currently accepting new account registrations” from the region.
In a statement, Aylo said it had limited access to its platforms in several jurisdictions—including the UK, France and some U.S. states—due to what it described as “ineffective and haphazard age verification laws.”
Privacy debate emerges
Digital rights advocates say the rise in VPN downloads was predictable.
Tom Sulston, deputy chair of Digital Rights Watch, said many users are turning to the technology both to bypass restrictions and to enhance online privacy.
“My hope is that people discover not only that VPNs can bypass restrictions on certain sites, but also that they’re generally useful for privacy when browsing the internet,” he said.
The rollout of the new rules highlights the growing global debate over how governments should regulate online spaces to protect minors while balancing privacy and digital freedom.