Overview

• Ofcom began enforcing mandatory ID-based age checks on adult and high-risk content on July 25, threatening fines up to £18 million or 10 percent of global revenue for non-compliant platforms.
• Proton VPN reported a 1,800 percent rise in UK sign-ups and NordVPN saw subscription sales jump by 1,000 percent following rule enforcement.
• VPN apps occupied five of the top ten free spots on the UK App Store over the weekend, with Proton VPN overtaking ChatGPT as the top free app.
• A petition calling for repeal of the Online Safety Act has surpassed 280,000 signatures on the UK Parliament website.
• Ofcom director Oliver Griffiths acknowledged that determined users could bypass the checks, prompting calls to curb VPN-promoting content.