Aussies Flock to VPNs Amid Online Safety Codes

0:00From the streets of Sydney to the world, this is Sydney News Today. VPN apps are surging up the charts in Australia after new online safety codes kicked in on Monday. Adult websites now block users or show only safe content unless they verify age. This is pushed apps like VPN's super unlimited proxy from 40th to 7th place among free iPhone apps. Proton VPN jumped from 174th to 19th and Nord VPN from 189th to 13th. These tools let users fake their location to bypass blocks and access sites from abroad. Major platforms owned by ALO, including PornHub, RedTube, UPorn, and Tube 8 started restricting Australian visitors last week. The rules cover porn, violent material, self-harm content, and even some AI chatbots in social media. Aussies are reacting by downloading VPNs in droves. On X, formerly Twitter, users now face age checks for adult posts using account age, behavior signals, and facial scans.

1:04E-safety commissioner, Julie Inman-Gran, stressed platforms need real verification, not just a simple yes button. Noncompliance risks fines up to $49.5 million per breach. Experts saw this coming. Electronic Frontiers Australia chair John Payne compared its past crackdowns like the under 16 social media ban. Last year in the United Kingdom, VPN's dominated app stores after similar rules, with Proton seeing an 1800% download spike. Officials there even warned against using them. Popular VPNs here offer free and paid options, all claiming no data collection. Payne advises checking providers closely, as some free ones might sell user info to profit. The regulator continues pushing for compliance across platforms. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, See the episode description. Headphones in a pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense. S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com .com.com.