As of 9th March 2026, age checks are required to access ‘high risk’ platforms including pornographic websites, social media services that allow pornographic material, AI services that generate sexually explicit, self-harm or high impact violence material, and online games rated R18+.
Previously, all that was required was a tick-box to say someone was over 18, but that is no longer with age assurance mechanisms being required such as face recognition and digital ID.
As a result of this, Canadian porn giant, Aylo, who owns Pornhub and RedTube, have stopped Australians from registering accounts and accessing content.
This is a huge win for child safety in Australia but also leaves us with many questions. The main one being if it will actually stop young people accessing it.
The introduction of the age restrictions will do a lot to stop young people from accidentally stumbling across online pornography, especially as approximately 10% of children have done so by age 10 and almost 30% by age 13 (Accidental, unsolicited and in your face). This report also stated that two in five young people’s first exposure happened when they were searching for something else. These age restrictions are a fantastic milestone to celebrate and hopefully we will see a drop in these statistics.
It is important to note, however, that many young people know how to use a VPN (virtual private network) to trick a website into thinking they are in another country. And it’s no surprise that tactics like using a parent’s credit card details or ID would be an easy way to get through the restrictions.
We do need to acknowledge that eSafety requires service providers to detect whether a user is using a VPN but we are yet to see or know how this will look.
This will likely mean that young people may seek out pornography in unregulated parts of the internet, through peer-to-peer file sharing, or accessing this content through apps like Discord or Whatsapp.
While it is fantastic that the Australian Government has implemented these restrictions, this does not absolve parents from the need and responsibility of having conversations young and ongoing. Unfortunately, it’s not if but when young people encounter sexually explicit content, so these proactive conversations are still vital to child safety.
Our Grade 4 Workshop with 9-10 year olds unpacks safe and unsafe content online, and every time without fail students share with us about how they have seen naked people online and how that made them feel scared, curious, and sick (often all three). They share earnestness and purity and a desire to do the right thing but so often they don’t have the language or tools to get help from safe adults about it.
We always say that if safe adults aren’t discipling our children about relationships, sex, and growing up, then the internet absolutely is. Just because these restrictions have come in, it does not mean that this is any less true.
Sexual discipleship is the ongoing walking beside someone as they work out how to follow Jesus with their sexual desires and relationships. It is not about what to think, but about how to think. It is about forming someone who follows Jesus with all of themselves including their desire for connection and intimacy.
With all of this in mind, here are three questions you can discuss with your partner and older teenagers:
- Do you think these new age verification rules will actually stop young people from accessing inappropriate content, or just change how they find it? Why?
- What do you wish you knew about navigating the online world? What would you tell your younger self?
- How are your peers responding to this? What do you think about this?
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay… but how do I actually have these conversations well?” that’s exactly why we’ve created two practical, faith-based parent resources.
So, Where Do I Even Start? is your go-to guide for beginning honest, values-shaped conversations with confidence, helping you build trust and lay a strong foundation at home.
When To Talk About What walks you step-by-step through every stage of your child’s development, so you know what to say, when to say it, and how to do so in a way that is age-appropriate, non-shaming, and grounded in God’s design.
Both are simple, practical digital downloads designed to equip you, not overwhelm you. This is because while the internet will always have a voice, you are still one of the most trusted and influential voices in your child’s life.
Additionally, our programs explore pornography from a Christian lens and provide a positive narrative instead. They focus on equipping young people, both primary and secondary age, to navigate this landscape in a child safe, in an age-appropriate, and godly way.
Parents and guardians can book these workshops for their school or church community, alongside our dedicated Parent & Guardian Workshops, which prioritise partnership by equipping you to lead these conversations at home with confidence and care. Each program includes a comprehensive resource bundle (parent letter, follow-up questions, and our So, Where Do I Even Start? Parent & Guardian’s Guide) and an interactive workshop covering cultural influences (from pornography to purity culture), your role in sexual formation, how and when to have “the talk,” what your young people are being taught, and a live Q&A panel
Find out more below:
Having these conversations doesn’t have to be difficult! We’re here to help.
