Australia’s pornography age-verification: a victory for advocates or a gateway to ‘darker corners of the internet’

As users turn to VPNs to access pornography, experts warn collection of information creates a ‘honeytrap’ for bad actors

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When porn sites began blocking Australians from access, it also meant X began age-checking users before they could look at adult content on the social media site.

But it asked some users to send a video selfie every time they wanted to look at a single picture or video.

“Almost every post on my alt account has a content warning and asks me [for a] selfie for age verification,” one Australian porn consumer, Joe*, told Guardian Australia. “It’s maddening.”