Online age checks came first — a VPN crackdown could be next | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Online age checks came first — a VPN crackdown could be nextComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechPrivacyClosePrivacyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PrivacyOnline age checks came first — a VPN crackdown could be nextLawmakers don’t want VPNs to stand in the way of online age verification.by Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothMar 22, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCLinkShareGift Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechPrivacyClosePrivacyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PrivacyOnline age checks came first — a VPN crackdown could be nextLawmakers don’t want VPNs to stand in the way of online age verification.by Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothMar 22, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftEmma RothCloseEmma RothPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about online age verification and your privacy, follow Emma Roth. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it startedVirtual private networks, or VPNs, weren’t always used to access region-locked Netflix streams, bypass censorship online, 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 concealing your IP address and browsing data.The concept behind VPNs first emerged in the 1990s with a mundane purpose: to help businesses securely send information across offices. Instead of forking out money for the pricey leased lines that they would need to make these connections, many businesses decided to use their existing infrastructure to transfer data across encrypted “tunnels” on the web. While Microsoft, AT&T, and Cisco pioneered early versions of the tech, Francis Dinha and James Yonan went on to launch OpenVPN in 2001, offering a more secure, open-source alternative for both businesses and consumers.But things changed in 2013, when whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked confidential documents that revealed the National Security Agency had been carrying out mass surveillance programs across the web. This revelation made more people aware of security-related risks, as a 2015 survey from Pew Research found that 34 percent of Americans have taken at least one step to protect their privacy online. Just one year later, another Pew Research survey found that 86 percent of Americans tried to “remove or mask their digital footprint” by doing things like clearing cookies, encrypting their email, or using VPNs. The rise of streaming and region-locked video libraries created tangible benefits for having a VPN, too, not to mention the prevalence of virtual networks in torrenting.Though 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 the age-gated internet.How it’s goingLawmakers around the globe are implementing rules surrounding online age verification as part of purported efforts to keep kids safe online. But such efforts come at the expense of everyone else’s privacy and ability to openly access the internet. Intrusive requirements to upload your ID, bank card information, or take a video selfie to access content online threaten to deanonymize all users, while also putting 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 tech to mask their location and present their web traffic as coming from a different state or country — one without age verification requirements.Last year, searches for VPNs soared in Florida after the state required age verification for adult websites, and similar scenarios are playing out in other countries. In the UK, mobile VPN usage shot up after imposing rules that require users to verify their age to access adult websites and platforms like Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord. VPNs are on the rise in Australia, too, which banned kids under 16 from social media in late 2025 and introduced age checks for porn websites earlier this month.What happens nextThe future of VPNs is under threat. In Michigan, six Republican representatives proposed a bill that would not only restrict access to VPNs but also ban the distribution of porn, force ISPs to “block and filter” a wide range of adult content, and target depictions of transgender people online. Wisconsin lawmakers packaged a VPN ban in the state’s age verification bill, but they have since removed the provision after facing widespread backlash.Regulators in countries outside the US are eyeing VPN usage as well. Last year, the UK Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza called VPNs a “loophole that needs closing” during an interview with the BBC, while the country’s communications regulator, Ofcom, is monitoring VPN use, according to a report from TechRadar. Meanwhile, the French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, said VPNs are “the next topic on my list” after the country enacted a ban on social media for kids under 15.Putting restrictions on VPNs would undermine user privacy and security. In addition to the businesses and students who use 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, as noted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). A ban on VPNs might not even be effective, either, as users would inevitably find work-arounds, such as creating their own private networks.The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, takes issue with the idea of banning VPNs as well. Laws restricting access to the tech would put the US, the UK, Australia, and others in the same category as North Korea, Russia, and China, which see the technology as a threat to their government’s authoritarian rule.Even though the concept and execution of online age verification are still half-baked, lawmakers are pushing forward anyway, making the surge in threats to VPNs all the more concerning.By the wayEarlier this month, lawmakers advanced a package of online safety bills that could implement age verification at the app store level. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called the package a “smoke screen” for the desires of Big Tech lobbyists.Apple is bringing an age verification requirement to the App Store in response to laws in locations like Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana. (A recent age verification notice on iPhones in the UK was an “error.”)Read thisThe Electronic Frontier Foundation explains why VPNs are not even a solution to age verification laws.In an op-ed for The Guardian, journalist Taylor Lorenz digs into why social media age checks just don’t work, and what governments could do instead.Janus Rose writes for The Verge about the impact of online age verification laws on the trans community.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnPrivacyClosePrivacyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PrivacyTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechThe StepbackCloseThe StepbackPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All The StepbackMost PopularMost PopularThe improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is hereGemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressiveThe new MacBook Pro is still fast as hellThe gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenicsHalide co-founder is suing former partner for bringing source code to AppleThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Lawmakers are increasingly focused on implementing rules surrounding online age verification as a means of safeguarding children online, a strategy that is generating considerable concern and pushing VPN usage to unprecedented levels. Emma Roth details the progression of this trend, beginning with the initial emergence of VPNs in the 1990s for secure business communications. The technology’s growth was then accelerated by Edward Snowden’s revelations regarding mass surveillance programs, leading to heightened awareness of privacy risks and increased adoption of VPNs among the general public. The rise of streaming services and region-locked content further fueled the demand for VPNs, as did the growing prevalence of virtual networks for activities such as torrenting. However, the current wave of interest in age verification, spearheaded by various governments globally, represents a distinct shift. Nations including the UK, Australia, and France are enacting regulations requiring age verification for access to online content, triggering a corresponding surge in VPN usage as individuals seek to circumvent these restrictions. Roth highlights specific examples, such as the increased VPN searches in Florida following adult website age verification requirements and the rise in VPN usage in the UK due to restrictions on mobile access to adult platforms like Reddit and Bluesky. The core issue driving this escalation is the perceived incompatibility between stringent age verification measures and user privacy. Intrusive verification methods, such as requiring ID uploads, bank card information, or video selfies, raise significant concerns about data breaches and the potential for deanonymization, threatening the privacy of all users. Consequently, many individuals are turning to VPNs to mask their location and browsing data, effectively neutralizing the impact of these verification systems. Several legislative efforts are now underway to directly restrict VPN access, exemplified by a proposed bill in Michigan that seeks to ban VPNs and regulate adult content, alongside similar initiatives in the UK and Australia. Regulators, including Ofcom in the UK and the French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, have also expressed their intent to monitor and potentially restrict VPN usage. This escalation is attracting the attention of libertarian think tanks like the Cato Institute, which argue that restricting VPN access would align the U.S., the UK, and Australia with nations such as North Korea, Russia, and China, all of which view the technology as a threat to their authoritarian regimes. While proponents argue that VPNs create a loophole that needs to be closed, opponents contend that attempts to ban them would be ineffective, leading to the development of alternative privacy-enhancing tools. Roth underscores the potential consequences of such restrictions, noting that VPNs are essential for activists, journalists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking to protect their online communications and identities. The overall situation points toward a burgeoning conflict between governments’ attempts to regulate online content and individual rights to privacy and freedom of access, raising fundamental questions about the future of VPN technology and its role in safeguarding digital liberties.