Australians rushed to download virtual private networks (VPNs) on Monday, as one of the world’s largest pornography providers blocked access to its sites in response to the country’s rollout of strict online age restrictions. Last December, Australia became the first nation to ban teenagers from using social media nationwide. A separate law now requires AI-powered chatbots to prevent minors from accessing certain content, including pornography, extreme violence, and material related to self-harm or eating disorders, with fines of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million) for noncompliance.

Australia also joined countries like the UK, France, and multiple U.S. states in mandating that pornographic websites verify users are over 18. App stores are similarly required to perform age checks before allowing downloads of 18+ software. Julie Inman Grant, the country’s eSafety Commissioner, said the regulations aim to give children the same protections online that exist offline. “A child today can’t walk into a bar, enter a strip club, browse an adult shop, or sit at a casino table. These rules extend those protections into the digital world,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Apple’s (AAPL.O) chart of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps on Monday showed three VPN apps among the top downloads. The most popular, VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, even ranked higher than any social media platform. VPNs work by masking a device’s location with a different code. Canada-based Aylo, which owns a large network of porn sites, blocked Australians from RedTube and YouPorn and offered a version of Pornhub without explicit content. All sites displayed banners stating they are “not currently accepting new account registrations in your region.”

Aylo explained that it had restricted access in Australia, the UK, France, and certain U.S. states due to “ineffective and inconsistent age verification laws.” Tom Sulston, deputy chair of Digital Rights Watch, said it was unsurprising that users turned to VPNs. He added that beyond accessing restricted content, VPNs are generally useful for online privacy protection.