Mikkel Christensen
Online age-verification laws are expanding across several countries, and privacy advocates warn the push could reshape how VPN services operate on the modern internet.
Online age-verification laws are expanding across several countries, and privacy advocates warn the push could reshape how VPN services operate on the modern internet.
Supporters say stricter rules are needed to protect children online, while critics argue the measures risk expanding digital surveillance and weakening anonymous browsing.
New internet rules
According to BGR, Utah recently became the first US state to directly address VPN use within a broader age-verification law aimed at adult content websites.
The law places legal responsibility on platforms to verify users’ ages, even when location-masking tools make enforcement more difficult.
Privacy groups say that could encourage websites to apply stricter identity checks or restrict access from users relying on encrypted browsing services.
Why enforcement is complicated
VPNs reroute internet traffic through outside servers, making it harder for websites to determine a user’s physical location.
TechRadar previously reported that many VPN providers regularly rotate IP addresses, limiting the effectiveness of traditional detection systems.
Cybersecurity analysts say companies may respond by expanding verification requirements more broadly rather than trying to identify individual VPN users.
Growing privacy concerns
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), many online age-verification systems depend on sensitive personal data, including government identification, facial scans and browsing-linked information.
Critics argue that storing larger amounts of personal data could increase risks tied to hacking, data leaks and online tracking.
Some privacy advocates also warn that tighter verification systems may gradually reduce anonymous internet access.
A broader global trend
Similar online safety and age-verification measures have appeared in parts of the US, the UK and Australia in recent years.
Governments argue the policies are designed to reduce minors’ exposure to harmful content and social media risks.
Opponents, however, say the growing reliance on identity verification raises difficult questions about privacy, free expression and data security.
What comes next
Legal and technical experts say the debate around VPNs is likely to intensify as governments continue expanding online safety laws.
VPN companies may also face increasing commercial and regulatory pressure as enforcement systems evolve.
For now, Utah’s law is emerging as one of the clearest examples yet of how online privacy tools are becoming part of the wider global debate over internet regulation.
Sources: BGR, Electronic Frontier Foundation, TechRadar
