"letting users spoof IP addresses from other countries so that the checks never appear in the first place. The BBC reported a few days after the law came into effect that five of the top 10 free apps on the iOS App Store were VPNs. WindscribeVPN shared data showing a spike in its user figures, NordVPN claimed a 1,000 percent increase in purchases that weekend, and ProtonVPN reported an even higher 1,800 percent increase in UK signups over the same period."
"Murmurings have begun that something needs to be done, that the UK's flagship child safety law has been made a mockery, and that VPNs are the problem. The OSA became UK law in 2023, but it took until July for its most significant measures to take effect. It requires websites and online service providers to implement "strong age checks" to prevent under-18s from accessing a broad swathe of "harmful materials," mostly meaning pornography and content promoting suicide or self-harm."
VPNs have become the primary method for UK users, including children, to bypass the Online Safety Act's age-verification measures. Free VPN apps surged in App Store rankings and major providers reported large spikes in UK signups and purchases immediately after the most significant OSA measures took effect in July. Policymakers and officials have noted that age checks are being circumvented and are considering restrictions on minors' access to VPNs. The OSA mandates "strong age checks" to block under-18s from pornography and content promoting suicide or self-harm, creating tension between child safety and online privacy tools.
Read at The Verge
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