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    [One third content harmful to minors should cover most all social media sites   
   but I somehow bet it does not. -- Mike]   
      
   Missouri's search for VPNs lifts off as the first day of age verification   
   arrives   
      
   Date:   
   Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:24:01 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Starting from November 30, age checks became mandatory to access adult-only   
   content. And citizens are turning to VPNs.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Today, November 30, is the first day that all internet users in Missouri must   
   prove they are at least 18 years old to access adult-only content online  and   
   many citizens have begun looking for ways to protect their personal data.    
      
   Google searches for the terms ' VPN ' and ' free VPN ' have skyrocketed in    
   the Ozark State since the Missouri age verification law came into effect,   
   according to Google Trends data.    
      
   The search volume for the term 'VPN' has doubled since Saturday (November    
   29), with a further surge registered today.    
      
   This trend follows similar spikes in VPN usage recorded elsewhere in the US,   
   and abroad, as other states implemented some form of mandatory age   
   verification .    
      
   With Missourians scrambling to protect the privacy of their most sensitive   
   information, it's very likely that state-wide incidents of phishing and    
   online fraud will rise. Mandatory age checks can push many towards dangerous   
   free VPN solutions, which by far and away outnumber the safe, trusted best   
   free VPNs found on app stores.    
      
   There are even some recently published VPN solutions popping up that directly   
   target those searching for a Missouri VPN.    
      
   In the lead-up to Sunday, a quick search for "Missouri VPN" turned up many   
   names our team of expert VPN reviewers and lab testers had never even heard    
   of at the top results.    
      
   If you are in the hunt for a trusted solution, there are good free VPNs that   
   will help out. However, it's a perfect time to try out a paid product too,   
   with many of the very best VPNs on the market now offering time-limited Black   
   Friday VPN deals .    
      
   Missouri age verification and privacy all you need to know   
      
   Missouri's age verification rules are pretty similar to those enacted in    
   other US regions. Therefore, the same set of issues for users' privacy and   
   security remains.    
      
   Under the new rules , all websites or applications containing more than   
   one-third "material harmful to minors" are required to verify that their    
   users are adults before granting them access. This is a provision that    
   experts talking to TechRadar have criticized for its "vague" terms.    
      
   There are a few age verification methods that users and providers can opt    
   for. These include the use of digital ID , the scanning of government-issued   
   identification documents, or other transactional data.    
      
   The law requires website and app providers to use all reasonable methods to   
   secure user data. Providers are also forbidden from retaining any identifying   
   information unless otherwise required by law enforcement.    
      
   Nonetheless, these are guarantees that have so far failed to convince experts   
   that data abuse and leaks will remain at bay.    
      
   "By forcing everyone to hand over their most valuable and sensitive identity   
   data, the law builds out a dangerous new surveillance infrastructure instead   
   of actually keeping young people safe," activist at the Electronic Frontier   
   Foundation (EFF), Molly Buckley, told TechRadar.    
      
   Clearly, people in Missouri share the same concerns and are not willing to   
   hand over their most sensitive details as easily. Virtual private network   
   (VPN) tools seem to be the best chance they now have to keep control over   
   their data.    
      
   We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses.    
   For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms   
   and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and   
   strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone   
   using a VPN service to break the law or conduct illegal activities. Consuming   
   pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future   
   Publishing.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/missouris-search-for-vpns-l   
   ifts-off-as-the-first-day-of-age-verification-arrives   
      
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