No one begrudges keeping children safe. But the Online Safety Act, which came into force last month, has caused plenty of collateral damage to web users who had their 18th birthdays long ago.
Stringent requirements under the Act, designed to keep children safe online by blocking their access to pornography and violent material unless users undergo age verification checks, have been so broadly drawn that even sites like Wikipedia fear they’re required to check IDs at their digital doors. Some are even stopping servicing users in the UK — pushing people towards digital workarounds.
Key among them are virtual private networks (VPNs), which route requests to visit websites through circuitous channels designed to give the impression a browser is based in a different country. Believing a website is being accessed from Bolivia or Botswana, rather than Britain, users aren’t asked to verify their age.
VPN usage spiked more than 1,000 per cent in the days after the Act came into force, with many of the products shooting to the top of app stores.
“While this new legislation aims to protect users, especially children, it has raised significant concerns among digital rights groups, who view it as a substantial threat to privacy, security and freedom of speech,” says Alexey Kozliuk, chair of the VPN Guild, an industry body representing VPN providers. “When people feel their digital freedoms are at risk, they naturally turn to VPN technology to reclaim control and privacy.”
It’s not just about a slight inconvenience. “As websites begin to comply with the UK online safety law by requiring users to verify their ages, it’s justifiable for many in the UK to worry about their privacy and ability to access essential information online,” says Kate Ruane, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Ruane points out that as UK web users were required to hand over their passport, driving licence or bank details — or take selfies — in order to prove their age on websites like Reddit and Bluesky, another women-only, dating-safety app based in the US, called Tea, was hacked. “When apps collect sensitive identifying information like users’ images or drivers’ licences to comply with age verification laws, they risk this kind of breach, which endangers privacy, safety and dignity,” says Ruane. “It also chills everyone’s desire to engage in all but the most anodyne conversations online.”
Little wonder that people are turning to VPNs to try and stay anonymous online or to access their favourite websites — many of which could barely be classed as containing adult material.
But that comes with risks, says Kozliuk. “Not all VPNs are created equal,” he says. “Many free VPNs come with hidden costs, such as data harvesting, intrusive logging or even exposure to malware. For reliable privacy and security, selecting a reputable VPN, whether paid or free, is strongly recommended.”
Beyond that, there are worries among cybersecurity experts that we’ll start to see more sophisticated phishing attacks — where users are tricked into handing over sensitive information by scammers impersonating legitimate businesses — targeting these age verification tools.
“Unfortunately, as more laws requiring age verification are passed around the world, these breaches are set to become the norm, and access to a wide variety of legal content will face increasing risks,” warns Ruane. “Privacy and free expression are human rights, and governments should protect them, not endanger them.”
