Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

UK VPN Downloads Surge Amid Age Verification Law

8/18/2025

24 3

Summary

Story summary

VPN downloads in the UK increased after the Online Safety Act took effect on July 25, 2025, enforcing age verification for adult content.
Experts caution that free VPN services may compromise security through data harvesting and malware.
Adult sites, including Pornhub and XVideos, experienced notable traffic drops due to age verification rules.
The government states that most VPN users are adults, focusing on improving online safety for children.

1 of 1

Story summary

VPN downloads in the UK increased after the Online Safety Act took effect on July 25, 2025, enforcing age verification for adult content.
Experts caution that free VPN services may compromise security through data harvesting and malware.
Adult sites, including Pornhub and XVideos, experienced notable traffic drops due to age verification rules.
The government states that most VPN users are adults, focusing on improving online safety for children.