Porn websites begin blocking Australian users as deadline for age verification compliance looms

Porn websites begin blocking Australian users as deadline for age verification compliance looms Several sites now state they are ‘not currently accepting new account registrations in your region’ when accessed from Australia Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A number of adult websites have begun blocking users in Australia in preparation for new codes requiring age verification from Monday. Guardian Australia has confirmed RedTube, YouPorn, and Tube8 all had notices on their sites when visited from an Australian IP address on Friday stating they are “not currently accepting new account registrations in your region”. The news was first reported by Crikey . From Monday, adult sites, among a range of other services including AI companion chatbots and app stores will be required to implement age verification for users attempting to access pornography, extremely violent material or self-harm content. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The Australian online safety regulator has warned that platforms that are not in compliance with the codes could face fines of up to $49.5m per breach. The parent company of the sites restricting access, Aylo, said the company would be in compliance with the law. “Aylo’s video sharing platforms will be restricting access to adult material before the deadline on March 9th,” the spokesperson said. “Australia is following a similar approach to the UK, which all our evidence shows does not effectively protect minors, and instead creates harms relating to data privacy and exposure to illegal content on non-compliant platforms.” Other sites such have not yet implemented any restrictions. That includes one of the largest sites, Pornhub, which is also owned by Aylo. On Friday, the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, welcomed the introduction of the codes. “We don’t allow children to walk into bars or bottle shops, adult stores or casinos, but when it comes to online...