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Blocked Sites? No Face Scan Required.

Since March 9, 2026, Australian adults need to hand over their passport or submit to facial scanning just to access legal content. Millions are choosing VPNs instead. Here's how.

See the Best VPNs \u2192How It Works ↓

Top VPN Picks for Australia

Editor's Choice

NordVPN

Overall best for Australia

4.8
AUD $4.19/mo75% off
  • No-logs policy (audited)
  • Kill switch
  • Double VPN
  • Threat Protection
Get NordVPN — 75% off →
Privacy Pick

Proton VPN

Best for privacy purists

4.6
AUD $4.99/mo70% off
  • Swiss privacy laws
  • Open source
  • Secure Core
  • No-logs (audited)
Get Proton VPN — 70% off →
Best Value

Surfshark

Best value — households

4.4
AUD $3.49/mo80% off
  • Unlimited devices
  • CleanWeb ad blocker
  • MultiHop
  • No-logs policy
Get Surfshark — 80% off →

How It Works

1

Subscribe

Pick a VPN. We recommend NordVPN.

2

Connect

Open the app and connect to New Zealand.

3

Browse

That's it. No ID, no face scan, no data trail.

What Changed on March 9

On 9 March 2026, Australia’s age verification mandate officially took effect. The law requires adult websites to verify every visitor’s age using government-issued ID or biometric facial scanning before granting access.

Rather than comply, major platforms including Pornhub and its sister sites chose to block Australian users entirely. Visitors from Australian IP addresses now see a geo-restriction notice instead of the site.

The stated goal is child safety, but the implementation forces millions of adults to hand over sensitive personal data — passports, driver’s licences, and facial scans — to access content that remains perfectly legal for them to view.

Privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts have raised serious concerns about data breaches, surveillance overreach, and the creation of centralised databases linking real identities to browsing habits. A VPN sidesteps the issue entirely by routing your connection through a server outside Australia.

100% Legal
256-bit Encryption
No Logs
30-Day Money Back

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. VPNs are completely legal in Australia. There is no law prohibiting the use of VPN services. Millions of Australians use VPNs daily for privacy, security, and to access content. The age verification legislation targets websites, not the tools people use to browse the internet. You are well within your rights to protect your connection with a VPN.
Depending on the platform, you may be asked to upload a government-issued photo ID (like a passport or driver’s licence), submit to a live facial scan, or use a third-party digital identity service. Some systems store biometric data or create a hash of your face that can be linked back to you. The privacy risks are significant — any data breach could expose your identity alongside your browsing history. This is the core reason many Australians are choosing VPNs instead.
Your ISP can see that you’re connected to a VPN server, but they cannot see what you’re doing once connected. All your traffic is encrypted end-to-end, so your ISP only sees an encrypted tunnel to an IP address. They cannot see which websites you visit, what you download, or any of your actual browsing activity. This is standard behaviour for any VPN connection.
As of March 2026, Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn, Tube8, and several Aylo-owned sites have blocked Australian users rather than comply with the age verification mandate. These sites now show a geo-block notice when accessed from an Australian IP address. More sites may follow as enforcement ramps up. Connecting to a VPN server in New Zealand or another nearby country bypasses the block entirely.
Yes. The age verification blocks apply to all devices — your phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop. If you’re browsing from an Australian IP address, you’ll hit the same blocks regardless of device. All the VPNs we recommend offer apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. NordVPN and Surfshark both allow you to protect multiple devices on a single subscription.
Surfshark at AUD $3.49/mo is the cheapest we’ve tested that actually works reliably from Australia. It offers unlimited simultaneous devices, which makes it ideal for households. Speeds are solid — not as fast as NordVPN, but more than enough for streaming and general browsing. It also includes a built-in ad blocker. If budget is your main concern, Surfshark is the clear pick.

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