Age verification laws have had a massive impact on the internet in the United Kingdom and parts of the United States – and Italy and Australia are preparing to roll out similar restrictions.
Sites displaying adult content in these countries will require users to prove their age, and any underage visitors will be denied access. However, while the proposed measures are intended to protect children, privacy advocates have warned that they do more harm than good.
Plenty of people don’t like the idea of submitting identifiable data to access adult content, and for good reason – it makes the data vulnerable to misuse and could be tied to someone’s internet activity. It’s why we’ve seen a surge in interest in today’s best VPNs.
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Which countries are considering age verification?
In the UK, requirements are already in place and have been since July 2025. Millions of users are coming to terms with the fact that sites displaying adult content or “potentially harmful” material are locked behind age verification, as per the Online Safety Act.
The scope of what is considered “adult content” has no doubt encouraged interest in VPNs, as dating sites, social media platforms, and even Spotify have introduced some kind of verification requirements. In fact, Proton VPN itself recorded a 1,400% spike in sign-ups shortly after the legislation rolled out.
Age restrictions will shortly roll out across Italy, too, as announced by communications authority, AGCOM. From November 12, 2025, the system will require users to confirm their age before accessing sites and video-sharing platforms containing adult content.
Unlike in the UK, Italy’s age verification process will employ “double anonymity,” which means the verification provider can’t see which site the user is trying to access, and the website can’t see anything else about the person.
In Australia, the upcoming restrictions take a slightly different form. They centre around social media platforms and, from December 10, 2025, users will need to be provably over the age of 16 to have a social media account.
The law affects major platforms, like X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and intends to remove children from potentially toxic online communities and the risk of abuse, bullying, and even grooming. While some platforms may still allow under-16s to view content, they won’t be able to interact with other users.
