Online age verifications came first – and a VPN crackdown could be next

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Virtual private networks, or VPNs, aren’t always used to access region-locked Netflix streams, bypass online censorship, or to prevent your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from tracking your browsing history. It took years for VPNs to become the technology we know today, which provides an encrypted connection between your device and a private server, while hiding your IP address and browsing data.

The concept behind VPNs It first appeared in the 1990s For a normal purpose: helping companies send information securely across offices. instead of Spend money on expensive leased lines Because they would need to make these connections, many companies decided to use their existing infrastructure to transfer data through encrypted “tunnels” on the web. While Microsoft, AT&T, and Cisco pioneered early versions of the technology, Francis Dinha and James Younan went on to OpenVPN launched in 2001providing a more secure and open source alternative for both businesses and consumers.

But things changed in 2013, when whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked Confidential documents Which revealed that the NSA was implementing mass web surveillance programs. This revelation has increased people’s awareness of security-related risks. In a 2015 survey from the Pew Research Center It found that 34 percent of Americans have taken at least one step to protect their privacy online. After only one year, Another Pew Research Center poll found That 86 percent of Americans have tried to “remove or hide their digital footprint” by doing things like clearing their cookies, encrypting their email, or using VPNs. The rise of region-locked streaming and video libraries has created tangible benefits to having a VPN as well, not to mention the proliferation of virtual networks in torrenting.

Although Snowden may have sparked a privacy movement stemming from government surveillance, a new wave of VPN adoption is being driven by a different force: the rise of an age-limited internet.

Lawmakers around the world are implementing rules surrounding online age verification as part of The alleged one Efforts to keep children safe online. But such efforts come at the expense of everyone’s privacy and their ability to access the Internet openly. Intrusive requirements to upload your ID or bank card information or take a video selfie to access online content threaten to de-anonymize all users, while also putting away troves of personal information. At risk of data breaches.

As a result, many are turning to VPNs to circumvent these requirements, as they can use the technology to mask their location and present their web traffic as coming from a different state or country – without age verification requirements.

last year, Searches for VPNs have soared In Florida after the state required age verification for adult websites, similar scenarios are occurring in other countries. in the united kingdom, Use a mobile VPN They fired after enforcing the rules that required Users to verify their age To access adult sites and platforms such as Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord. VPNs are on the rise in Australiaalso which Prohibited children under 16 years old Of social media in late 2025 and Provide age checks to porn sites earlier this month.

The future of virtual private networks (VPNs) is under threat. In Michigan, there are six Republican representatives He proposed a bill This will not only restrict access to VPNs but also Prohibit the distribution of pornographic materials and force ISPs “block and filter” a wide range of adult content, and Targeting the portrayal of transgender people online. wisconsin Lawmakers pack VPN ban in state age verification bill, however They have since removed that provision After facing widespread backlash.

Regulators in countries outside the US are looking to use VPNs as well. Last year, UK Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza described VPNs as a “loophole that needs to be closed”. During an interview with the BBCWhile the country’s communications regulator, Ofcom, monitors VPN use, according to A Report from Tech Radar. On the other hand, the French Minister in charge of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Anne Le Henenve, said: VPN said It is the “next topic on my list” after country Ban issued On social media for children under 15 years old.

Placing restrictions on VPNs would undermine user privacy and security. In addition to businesses and students using VPNs to securely connect to online resources or communications platforms, many people use VPNs for safety reasons, including activists, journalists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, he noted. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Blocking VPNs may not be effective either, as users will inevitably find workarounds, such as creating their own.

The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, It goes against the idea of ​​blocking VPNs as well. Laws restricting access to technology would put the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and others in the same category as North Korea, Russia and China, which see the technology as a threat to their governments’ authoritarian rule.

Although the concept and implementation of online age verification is still incomplete, lawmakers are moving forward anyway, making the growing threats to virtual private networks (VPNs) even more alarming.