"Legislation on Online Safety intensifies the issue of hidden web traffic faced by publishers"
The UK's Online Safety Act, a legislation aimed at protecting minors from harmful content, has triggered a significant increase in the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country. The Act, which came into effect on July 25, 2025, requires strict age verification controls on websites with adult or sensitive content, including topics like suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders[1][2][3].
This surge in VPN adoption is due to users seeking to bypass age verification barriers, thereby maintaining their privacy[1][2][3]. VPN providers such as ProtonVPN have reported a staggering 1,800% rise in UK sign-ups following these new rules, with VPN apps climbing up the UK app store charts[2].
For publishers and online platforms, compliance with the Act presents significant challenges. They must implement robust age checks to avoid hefty fines and potential criminal sanctions. Platforms like Reddit, Discord, Grindr, and X have pledged to comply with age verification measures[2].
However, the increased use of VPNs poses challenges for advertisers as well. VPNs mask true IP locations and user identities, making demographic targeting and accurate user data collection difficult[1][2]. This degrades the quality of ad targeting and analytics, potentially reducing advertising revenue and increasing friction in monetization strategies.
The Act is also criticized for being a 'sprawling and broken piece of legislation' that favours Big Tech platforms, such as Google, Meta, and TikTok, due to their logged-in user environments[1]. These platforms may benefit from the shift towards VPN usage, as advertisers divert spend from 'dark' open web environments into Big Tech platforms[1].
Interestingly, the public mood around surveillance, privacy, and institutional trust is shifting, with more users turning to VPNs and ad blockers to maintain their privacy online[1]. Many popular VPNs now bundle built-in ad blockers or make it easy to add one, further complicating monetization for publishers and advertisers[1].
Small sites and not-for-profits, such as Wikipedia, are put in an impossible position by the Online Safety Act, as they struggle to implement the necessary age checks while maintaining user privacy and accessibility[1].
Once a user has downloaded and activated a VPN, there's little reason to turn it off, making it near-impossible to geo-target or segment users based on location[1]. This complicates internet governance, as enforcing restrictions on VPN usage faces substantial technical and practical obstacles[4].
In conclusion, the UK's Online Safety Act has significantly increased VPN usage, posing enforcement difficulties for regulators, compliance challenges for publishers and platforms, and adverse impacts on advertisers' ability to target effectively. Attempts to restrict VPNs themselves face substantial technical and practical obstacles[1][2][3][4].
References: [1] BBC News (2025). UK's Online Safety Act Triggers VPN Surge. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59787637
[2] The Guardian (2025). Online Safety Act: VPNs Boom as Users Seek to Evade Age Verification. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/29/online-safety-act-vpn-boom-users-seek-to-evade-age-verification
[3] Wired (2025). The Online Safety Act is Fueling Calls for Repeal. [Online] Available at: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/online-safety-act-vpn-repeal
[4] TechCrunch (2025). The Technical Challenges of Enforcing VPN Restrictions. [Online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/03/the-technical-challenges-of-enforcing-vpn-restrictions/
- The media outlets have been reporting an increase in the usage of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in the UK, owing to the UK's Online Safety Act that enforces strict age verification controls on sensitive content.
- This surge in VPN adoption has raised concerns in sports-betting industries, as it hampers the ability to identify underage bettors and ensure compliance with gambling regulations.
- The surge in VPN usage may impact the finance sector, as financial institutions rely on accurate geolocation data for fraud detection and regulatory compliance.
- In the realm of politics, some argue that the increased use of VPNs could undermine efforts to combat cybersecurity threats by making it easier for malicious actors to masquerade their true identities.
- With general news outlets facing revenue losses due to reduced ad targeting accuracy and analytics, some observers are questioning the overallmerit and impact of the Online Safety Act on the media landscape.
- The casino-and-gambling industry, like many others, is grappling with the shifting dynamics brought about by the surge in VPN usage, affecting their ability to geolocate users and maintain regulatory compliance in regions with strict gambling laws.
