VPN Use Surges as UK Online Safety Act Takes Effect

New UK Law Requiring Age-Verification Measures on Porn Sites Causes VPN Use to Soar Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • July 29, 2025

Virtual private network services are surging to the top of app charts in the United Kingdom after a law mandating age verification for pornography and other adult websites came into effect Friday.

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The Online Safety Act requires adult platforms to verify users' age and identity through methods like facial recognition or banking information, prompting many porn sites to start requesting IDs over the weekend. The law aims to shield children from adult content. Critics argue it threatens privacy rights and risks exposing sensitive personal data.

Minutes after the law went into effect, Proton VPN - which provides free VPN services that allow users to bypass regional restrictions and maintain anonymity - reported a "sustained ...