Age verification laws have had a huge impact on the internet in the UK and parts of the US, with Italy and Australia preparing to introduce similar restrictions.
Sites displaying adult content in these countries will require users to verify their age, and underage visitors will be denied access. However, while the proposed measures are intended to protect children, privacy advocates warn they do more harm than good.
Many people don't like the idea of ​​providing identifiable data to access adult content, and for good reason – it makes the data vulnerable to misuse and could be linked to someone's internet activity. That's why we're seeing a surge in interest today best VPNs.
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Which countries are considering age verification?
In the UK, the requirements are already in place from July 2025. Millions of users are coming to terms with the fact that sites displaying adult content or “potentially harmful” material are banned. blocked due to age verificationin accordance with the Internet Safety Act.
The scale of what is considered “adult content” has no doubt spurred interest in VPNs, with dating sites, social media platforms and even Spotify introducing certain verification requirements. Actually, Proton VPN itself recorded a 1400% increase in registrations. shortly after the law was passed.
Age restrictions will soon extend to the whole of Italy, as announced communications authority, AGCOM. From November 12, 2025, the system will require users to verify their age before accessing sites and video sharing platforms containing adult content.
Unlike Great Britain, Age verification process in Italy will use “double anonymity”, which means the verification provider cannot see which site the user is trying to access, and the website cannot see anything else about the person.
In Australia, the upcoming restrictions are taking a slightly different form. They are centered around social media platforms, and from December 10, 2025. users must be over 16 years of age. have an account on a social network.
The law affects major platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and aims to remove children from potentially toxic online communities and the risk of abuse, bullying and even harassment. While some platforms may still allow those under 16 to view content, they will not be able to interact with other users.
