tech
March 23, 2026
Online age checks came first
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TL;DR
- Lawmakers are implementing online age verification rules, leading to increased use of VPNs to bypass these requirements.
- VPNs, which originated for secure business connections, have evolved to protect user privacy, especially after the Snowden revelations.
- New age verification laws threaten user privacy by requiring ID uploads or selfies, and put personal data at risk.
- Searches for VPNs have increased in regions with new age verification laws, such as Florida, the UK, and Australia.
- Legislative proposals in Michigan and Wisconsin aim to restrict or ban VPNs, drawing backlash.
- Regulators in the UK and France are also considering actions against VPN usage.
- Restricting VPNs would harm businesses, students, activists, journalists, and the LGBTQ+ community, and may not be effective.
- Banning VPNs could place countries in the same category as authoritarian states like North Korea, Russia, and China.
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