What we tested
We visited each platform from an Aussie IP on April 1, 2026, and documented exactly what appeared before we could access the site. No VPN, no browser tricks, just a direct visit from an Aussie IP.
Age gate comparison: April 2026, with JOI, GoLove, Candy.ai and Promptchan retested 8 September
| Platform | What you see | Clicks required | OSA compliant? |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOI | Modal with "Yes, I'm over 18" button | 1 | No |
| Secrets.ai | Modal with "I am 18+" button | 1 | No |
| Candy.ai | Nothing, site loads directly | 0 | No |
| Promptchan | Nothing at entry, but government ID or photo check to unlock NSFW | 0 to enter | For NSFW, yes |
| Xotic AI | ToS text block (scroll required) + checkbox + button | 2 + scroll | No |
| DarLink AI | Modal with "I am 18+" button | 1 | No |
The types of age gate explained
Nothing at entry (Candy.ai, Promptchan)
Candy.ai applies nothing at entry. Retested from an Aussie IP in a private window on 8 September 2026, candy.ai goes straight to the character grid; the only overlays are a Google sign-in prompt and a cookie consent banner, neither of which is age verification. That makes the biggest brand in the category the furthest from the Online Safety Act standard, since a button click is at least a gesture and this is not.
Promptchan also loads with nothing in the way, retested from an Aussie IP the same day, but it is the opposite case. It is SFW by default for Australian users, and unlocking NSFW requires a government ID or photo age check. So it asks for nothing to browse and more than anyone else to see adult content, which makes it the only platform here doing age assurance the Act would actually recognise.
JOI and GoLove AI, both retested 8 September 2026
These two used to be the no-gate pair, which is why older versions of this guide named them as such. They have swapped places with Candy.ai. JOI now shows a "Mature content" modal with a single "Yes, I'm over 18" button, and GoLove AI shows an "Adult Content" modal with "I'm over 18, Continue" and a Leave Site link. Both are one-click self-declaration, so neither is any more compliant than before. JOI is the softer of the two: the page loads behind the modal with mature content blurred rather than withheld.
Button-only self-declaration (JOI, GoLove AI, Secrets.ai, DarLink AI)
A modal pops up when you land on the site with a button along the lines of "I confirm I am 18 or older." Click it, modal disappears, full site loads. Takes about two seconds and requires zero information from you.
This is non-compliant with the Online Safety Act because nothing is actually being verified. Anyone can click the button. The Act explicitly calls out self-declaration as insufficient.
Self-declaration + ToS scroll (Xotic AI)
Xotic AI adds a step: the modal has a full Terms of Service block you have to scroll to the bottom of before a checkbox and button to enter. Scroll, check, click, done.
Still non-compliant, still self-declaration. But it does filter out people who can't be bothered, which is something, I suppose.
What would compliant age verification look like?
The Online Safety Act wants verification that actually confirms someone is an adult. That means one of:
- Credit card check, a valid card as a proxy for adult status (most cards require 18+)
- ID document upload, driver's licence, passport, that sort of thing
- Third-party verification service, something like AgeID or Yoti that ties back to official records
None of the six platforms we tested have done any of this. That may shift as eSafety starts enforcement in earnest. See our Online Safety Act guide for what's actually coming.
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