This is less about age verification than it is about trying to learn who exactly is browsing the internet and where they go online and what they do and with whom they communicate.
I am putting it very mildly and is a 10,000 ft view of what I think and read is going on.
Incidentally - I believe VPN companies should now develop and release a functionality within its apps where you can select to connect to locations and specific states or regions within select countries where you have 100% open internet and none of such blocks. This doesn’t necessarily have to do with NSFW sites but other things too.