People across the UK are downloading VPNs to get around the new Online Safety Act’s age verification checks.
As of Friday, July 25, various websites are now demanding their users upload their ID or confirm their age in order to access adults-only or Not Safe For Work content after the new law came into effect.
It also means social media users on Reddit and X have to prove their age to access the platforms. As a result, VPNs have seen a huge spike in downloads as thousands of Brits attempt to sidestep the new regulations by concealing their browsing behind a Virtual Private Network.
Instead of a simple age gate, web users in the UK are now forced to show ID or have their face assessed for age verification, which some have argued is a privacy concern over how that data will be collected and stored by a US company.
Proton VPN, a company which offers its VPN service to users worldwide, reported a massive 1,400% increase in sign-ups from British web users in the first hour the law came into effect.
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. They can be used to disguise the country of origin of a user, as well as other information by bypassing information through a remote server. Some normal uses of VPNs include signing into a work system to access files and documents securely within a single work network.
But despite the fact that using a VPN is fully legal in the UK, experts have warned people who are using a VPN that they may be exposing themselves to risk of attacks.
Many free VPNs are poorly secured, and could be revealing or handing your data to cyber criminals.
Daniel Card, a cyber-security expert with BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, told the BBC: “Many of these free VPNs are riddled with issues.
“Some act as traffic brokers for data harvesting firms, others are so poorly built they expose users to attacks.
“While more privacy-conscious users might stick to reputable services… the average person won’t.
“They’ll download the first free app with decent reviews, often without realising they’re handing over access to their data.”