EU's Age Check Crumbles Under VPN Loophole

The European Union's initiative to verify internet users' ages and identities to keep underage individuals off social media platforms is facing a significant challenge due to virtual private networks (VPNs). These VPNs provide a workaround by allowing users to spoof their location, appearing to be outside the EU and thus bypassing age verification requirements. This has led to a substantial increase in VPN usage in regions with such laws. For instance, one VPN provider reported a 1400% surge in signups after the UK's age-assurance law took effect. Similarly, France saw a trend when access to Pornhub was restricted for those under 18. The European Parliamentary Research Service has flagged VPNs as a loophole needing closure but has not yet proposed a concrete solution. The agency acknowledges that restricting VPNs themselves, by requiring age verification for their use, is one potential approach, a concept echoed by child protection advocates in the UK. This issue is not confined to the EU; Utah recently enacted a law attempting to counter VPN usage by considering users physically in the state subject to its age-verification laws, though its enforceability is questioned. Wisconsin's governor previously vetoed a bill that would have banned VPNs. These developments suggest that governments are increasingly aware of VPNs as a tool to circumvent internet age-gating and may pursue further restrictions on their use globally.