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   VPN demand skyrockets in the UK as age verification checks are enforced   
      
   Date:   
   Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:16:54 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Proton VPN confirmed an hourly increase in sign-ups of over 1,400% starting   
   from July 25, 2025, as Brits get ready to workaround new age checks.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   VPN demand is soaring in the UK as Britons get ready to work around new age   
   verification checks.    
      
   One of the best VPN services on the market, Proton VPN , confirmed to   
   TechRadar an hourly increase in sign-ups of over 1,400% starting from Friday,   
   July 25, 2025.    
      
   This coincides with new age verification requirements under the Online Safety   
   Act, which force all platforms displaying adult content and potentially   
   harmful materials to ensure users are over 18 via robust identity checks.    
      
   A Proton VPN spokesperson told TechRadar that a rise in sign-ups began   
   immediately at midnight on Friday, with a second spike starting from 9 am    
   (see graph in link below).   
      
   "We expect to see further increases over the coming days," Proton said.    
      
   Other VPN services are also likely to have recorded a similar surge in    
   demand. Data from Google Trends shows that the search for the term 'VPN' has   
   skyrocketed across the country since.   
      
   Ofcom, the UK's regulator responsible for enforcing the new age requirements,   
   however, is suggesting against using a VPN.    
      
    Talking to the BBC , the regulator said that it will be illegal for    
   platforms to encourage the use of VPNs, while warning parents that their   
   children won't benefit from these protections when using a VPN.    
      
   Nonetheless, according to Proton, such a spike in VPN usage rather suggests   
   that Britons are worried about the privacy implications that these   
   requirements could have.    
      
   "This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age   
   verification laws will have on their privacy," a Proton spokesperson told   
   TechRadar.    
      
   Some digital rights experts have indeed raised concerns about how new age   
   verification requirements could negatively impact people's privacy and their   
   data security.    
      
   Age verification isn't just for adult-only content websites, either. These   
   requirements are set to change how people in the UK will interact with their   
   social media, gaming, and dating apps, among others.    
      
   Privacy and VPN experts previously told TechRadar their concerns about    
   getting rid of anonymity on social media , warning that invasive identity   
   checks may lead to higher surveillance, censorship, and data breaches.    
      
   What's certain is that mandatory proof of age checks are now a reality for   
   people in the UK, with the likes of Reddit , Bluesky , X , and Grindr having   
   already introduced age verification for users in the UK. More services are    
   now expected to follow suit.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/vpn-demand-skyrockets-in-th   
   e-uk-as-age-verification-checks-are-enforced   
      
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