Wisconsin scraps VPN ban from age verification bill following backlash

• Wisconsin lawmakers remove VPN ban provision from age verification bill
• The requirement for adult sites to block VPN users was scrapped
• Digital rights experts warn that issues with privacy and free speech remain

Wisconsin lawmakers have scrapped a controversial VPN ban from an age-verification bill following backlash from residents and digital rights experts.

First introduced in March 2025, Senate Bill 130 (and its Assembly counterpart AB 105) originally required any provider distributing "harmful" material to minors to block all users connecting via a VPN.

Republican Senator Van Wanggaard moved to strike the provision on Wednesday, February 19. The amendment also added "virtual service provider" to the bill’s final paragraphs to clarify that VPN firms themselves are not liable under the law. The Senate welcomed the change, and the Assembly concurred the following day, sending the bill to the Governor’s desk for signing ...