Why are Australian gamers being hit with age verification on steam just to view mature content?

I’ve heard from my gamer friends who reside in Australia that any game that’s 18+ on steam is hit with a barrier of AV (mainly adding a CC, not a debit card) before they can even view the page despite them owning the title. The real solution to overcome this hurdle is: region change, as from Australia > (other country) which is only applicable if you’re an expat gamer having a valid payment method & billing address from (that country).

spoiler

I obtained this screenshot from a friend of mine who lives in Australia, this came up for any "adult" (non-pornographic) game like Doom or Resident Evil. I can view those games as normal as someone from abroad.

The alternative is using a premium VPN for region change but you’ll still require both a valid payment method & billing address from abroad finalizing steam “migration” to another nation’s storefront. However, this carries its own risks relating to account termination if caught. I’m a foreigner, so it doesn’t affect me personally but I feel them, the frustrations on having to submit CC just to gain access otherwise the page is inaccessible.