VPN Usage in Australia Skyrockets as Age Verification Laws Spark Privacy Concerns

Australia is witnessing a dramatic surge in VPN adoption following the introduction of controversial age verification laws and the country’s new social media ban for under-16s. As Australians scramble to protect their online privacy, questions are mounting about the legality of these digital privacy tools.

VPNs Are Entirely Legal in Australia

Let’s be crystal clear: VPNs are 100% legal in Australia. There are absolutely no restrictions on which VPN services you can use, and simply connecting to a VPN won’t land you in any legal trouble whatsoever.

What’s more, having a VPN installed on your device isn’t considered evidence of wrongdoing, and using a VPN doesn’t make you appear “guilty” in the eyes of Australian law.

However, there’s an important caveat worth noting. While VPNs themselves are perfectly legal, using them can violate the terms of service of private companies. Most major streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ explicitly prohibit VPN usage in their terms.

For instance, Amazon Prime Video’s Terms of Use state that “you may not use any technology or technique to obscure or disguise your location.” Disney+ has virtually identical wording in its Subscriber Agreement.

So while using a VPN for streaming isn’t breaking any laws, it is technically against the rules of these platforms. The good news? Despite these platforms’ efforts to block VPN users, we’ve never heard of any accounts being canceled solely due to VPN usage.

VPNs Don’t Make Illegal Activity Legal

Here’s the deal: while VPNs are completely legal to buy, install, and use, engaging in illegal activities while connected to a VPN remains illegal. The fact that it’s harder to trace activity back to you doesn’t change what the law actually says.

Take torrenting as a prime example. Not all torrenting is illegal—many people use torrents to download open-source software or public domain content. But if you’re using a VPN to download copyrighted material like the latest episodes of “House of the Dragon” from torrent sites, you’re still breaking copyright law.

The same principle applies to accessing other illicit content. If something is illegal to view, download, or share without a VPN, it remains equally illegal when you’re using one.

There is, however, a bit of a gray area when it comes to using VPNs to bypass age verification checks. Since the responsibility falls on websites to implement these checks, users aren’t technically breaking any laws by circumventing them.

That said, it is illegal for websites requiring age verification in Australia to advertise VPNs or suggest people use them to avoid these checks.

Why Would Someone in Australia Want a VPN?

It’s no secret that Australia has some of the most intrusive online surveillance practices in the developed world. The Surveillance Legislation Amendment grants the Australian government extensive authority to collect information on citizens and store it for future use. Australia is also part of the notorious “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance, along with the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand, meaning any data collected by Australian authorities could be freely shared with these other nations.

Understandably, many Australians object to this level of surveillance. By using a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic and mask your IP address, it becomes significantly more difficult for the government to link your online activities to your real identity.

Streaming VPNs are also incredibly popular for unblocking geo-restricted content on platforms like Netflix, allowing users to access shows and movies unavailable in their region. Others use VPNs to change their virtual location to purchase games and software at lower prices available in other countries.

Many premium VPN services include additional security features that go beyond basic privacy protection. For example, NordVPN offers Threat Protection Pro, which helps block malware, ads, and trackers, while ExpressVPN’s Identity Defender provides additional security layers. While dedicated security software often performs better, having these features bundled with your VPN is certainly a bonus.

Here’s something that might surprise you: if you choose one of the fastest VPNs available, you might actually see your internet speeds improve. This happens because of a practice called throttling, where internet providers deliberately slow down connections for users consuming large amounts of bandwidth during peak times—think gaming, streaming, or downloading. Since VPNs encrypt your traffic, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, making it impossible for them to selectively throttle your connection based on activity.

The Bottom Line

VPNs are incredibly versatile tools that offer far more than just privacy protection. While they’re not a perfect solution for online privacy (nothing is), downloading and using a reputable VPN is arguably the single best first step anyone can take to protect their digital life.

As VPN adoption continues to surge in Australia amid growing privacy concerns and restrictive legislation, one thing is abundantly clear: Australians are voting with their wallets and taking control of their online privacy in record numbers.

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