UK VPN Demand Surges After New Age-Verification Laws
▼ Summary
– The UK’s Online Safety Act led to a spike in VPN usage as users sought to bypass new age verification requirements for adult content sites.
– Similar surges in circumvention tool use have been observed in other countries with age check laws, highlighting a recurring pattern.
– The law mandates “highly effective” age checks, including ID uploads, but users are finding creative workarounds like using video game characters for verification.
– Over 6,600 porn sites and major platforms like Reddit and X have implemented age checks, with Microsoft introducing voluntary checks for Xbox users in the UK.
– Digital rights advocates warn that normalizing age verification could lead to more aggressive enforcement of such mechanisms in the future.
The UK has seen a dramatic increase in VPN usage following the implementation of strict age-verification laws under the Online Safety Act. Over the weekend, demand for virtual private networks and other privacy tools skyrocketed as users sought ways to bypass new restrictions on adult content and other sensitive material.
This surge was widely anticipated, mirroring patterns observed in other countries that have introduced similar regulations. However, digital rights groups caution that the growing reliance on circumvention tools highlights an ongoing struggle between internet users and authorities attempting to enforce content controls. The rise in VPN adoption underscores how quickly people adapt to new restrictions, often finding loopholes faster than regulators can close them.
Under the new law, platforms hosting pornography, self-harm, or eating disorder-related content must implement “highly effective” age verification measures, such as ID uploads and facial recognition checks. While some major websites, including Reddit and X, have complied, users are exploring unconventional workarounds, including reportedly using in-game character selfies from titles like Death Stranding to bypass verification.
Supporters of the legislation point to early successes, with over 6,600 adult sites now enforcing age checks. Microsoft has also introduced voluntary verification for Xbox users in the UK. Yet privacy advocates warn that normalizing these measures could pave the way for broader surveillance and stricter enforcement in the future, raising concerns about long-term implications for online freedom.
As the debate continues, the rapid adoption of VPNs signals a clear public response, one that suggests many users remain unwilling to trade privacy for compliance. Whether this trend will prompt policy adjustments or further restrictions remains to be seen.
(Source: Ars Technica)
