Here’s why Pornhub is blocked for users in Australia right now
PornHub is being restricted in Australia due to age verification rules. (Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Access to Pornhub, the world’s largest adult-video content site, is being restricted in Australia.
Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn and Tube8, has begun limiting access for Australian users, with Pornhub remaining partially accessible and showing only non-explicit content.
The restriction comes ahead of new rules introduced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner to reduce children’s exposure to harmful material taking effect.
As per the Star Observer, a spokesperson for Aylo confirmed its video sharing platforms will restrict “access to adult material before the deadline on March 9th”.
Bro porn hub is restricted in Australia now and I can still use it but I can only view safe for work content 💔💔 pic.twitter.com/8hbx6l19It
— Phan (@babyphanphan) March 7, 2026
Under Phase 2 of the regulation federal age verification rules will be brought in for websites hosting porn, or other age-restricted material. On such sites, systems that verify users’ ages, such as facial age estimation, digital identity wallets or photo identification, must be implemented. Failure to comply could lead to fines of up to $49.5 million per breach.
“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,” the Aylo spokesperson added.
Last year, Pornhub restricted access for UK users in response to age verification requirements under the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Pornhub is also blocked in 23 US states due to age verification laws. In 2024, Louisiana became the first state to require government ID to allow anyone to access Pornhub, after passing Act 440, under which commercial entities that publish “material harmful to minors” could be fined tens of thousands of dollars.
Since then, the law has been copied in a number of states, with the majority completely banning some of the most popular porn sites rather than requiring identification for access.
Users in Florida managed to subvert the ban, with demand for virtual private networks (VPNs) surging by more than 1,000 per cent after Pornhub was banned in The Sunshine State.
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