I was hit with the login popup last night: As of March 16, 2026, Civitai is blocking Australian users. While presented as a compliance necessity, it feels like a "too hard basket" reaction that leaves the local community in the lurch.
As a single parent of a young child myself, I am not blind to the risks of the internet. I’ve been vocal with MPs via public social media posts and in online petitions because I believe in education and stronger harassment laws over blanket bans and "prohibition" style restrictions. Simply delaying a young person's exposure to the internet doesn't solve the underlying problems; it just stunts their digital literacy.
However, I also believe Civitai’s response is a knee-jerk reaction in the same order as the flawed legislation itself. By citing the "Pornhub precedent," they are using a political playbook to trigger voter backlash rather than seeking "reasonable steps" for compliance, which as a smaller US-based entity with no local assets, they are arguably better positioned to navigate than the tech giants.
It’s disappointing to see both the government and the platform choose the path of least resistance at the expense of creators and the community.