VPNs top download charts as age verification laws come into force

According to the BBC, the UK has seen a dramatic surge in Virtual Private Network (VPN) app downloads as internet users seek to bypass new age verification checks forced by the Online Safety Act.

Since Friday, platforms like PornHub, Reddit and X have begun requiring users to verify their age, prompting a significant shift in online behaviour.

By Monday morning, half of the top ten free applications on Apple’s App Store in the UK were VPN services. One app developer reported an astonishing 1,800% increase in downloads, highlighting the immediate impact of the new regulations.

VPNs work by routing internet traffic through remote servers, effectively masking a user’s true location and IP address, and allowing them to access content as if they were in another country without age restrictions.

The Online Safety Act requires “robust” age verification methods for platforms hosting certain adult or potentially harmful content such as selfies, video verification, or uploading IDs. While intended to protect children, these measures have raised privacy concerns among users who worry about their data being retained or linked to their online activities.

However, experts caution against the use of free VPNs, many of which are now topping download charts. Daniel Card, a cybersecurity expert, warned that such services are “riddled with issues,” potentially acting as “traffic brokers for data harvesting firms” or exposing users to attacks due to poor construction.

Katie Freeman-Tayler of the children’s safety group Internet Matters expressed concern that the widespread availability of free VPNs could easily allow children to bypass critical protections put in place by the Online Safety Act.

While using a VPN is not illegal in itself, Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has stated that platforms are prohibited from hosting, sharing, or permitting content that encourages the use of VPNs to circumvent age checks. The government has also confirmed such encouragement would be unlawful.

Proton VPN, a paid service, reported a 1,800% spike in UK daily sign-ups over the weekend, with a spokesperson attributing this to adult users’ concerns about the privacy implications of universal age verification. Rajat Vaghani of Free VPN, another popular app, also noted a “significant surge” in UK users.

While many free VPNs claim to be private and encrypted, experts like Card warn that “the average person won’t” consider the underlying risks, often inadvertently “handing over access to their data.”