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4w ago

VPN Use Soars Under UK Age-Verification Rules as Government Rules Out Ban

Privacy experts warn that the act’s ID-based checks could expose sensitive personal data to breaches.

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The video game Death Stranding has a photo mode that has been used to bypass age verification systems.

Overview

  • Ofcom reports more than 6,600 adult websites have implemented mandatory age-verification measures since the Online Safety Act took effect on July 25.
  • Proton VPN and other providers logged sustained sign-up increases of up to 1,800 percent as UK users turned to circumvention tools.
  • Science Secretary Peter Kyle affirmed that the government has no plans to ban virtual private networks despite the surge in their usage.
  • A petition calling for repeal of the Online Safety Act has surpassed 380,000 signatures, reflecting widespread public pushback against the new regulations.
  • Cybersecurity advisers caution that requiring selfies, ID documents or financial checks for age verification heightens the risk of data breaches and misuse.