People who are using VPNs to get around age verification rules could face serious consequences amid a surge in usage.
This comes after strict new porn laws were put in place in the UK, meaning that users will now need to confirm their age before accessing content.
The new rule came into effect on Friday (July 25), with certain sites including PornHub, Reddit and X, formerly Twitter being affected, and since then, users have been scrambling to find a way around it.
One method people seem to have been trying is to download a VPN which can disguise your location online, meaning that you can use the internet as if you’re located in a different country where the rules on age verification may be different.
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According to a report by the BBC, as of Monday (July 28), ‘half of the top ten free apps in Apple's app download charts in the UK appeared to be for VPN services’.
What is the age verification process for adult sites?
Certain websites that are deemed to be harmful to children will now need to verify the age of its users before allowing them access.
This includes things like requiring a copy of ID or requesting a selfie or video of their face in order to estimate their age.
Speaking to Times Radio, UK Tech Secretary, Peter Kyle, claimed that there are ‘far more people who are actually there to prove their age in a legitimate way’.
He added: “So you will find a small number of people who will use VPNs, most of them will be adults themselves.
“But you will see now moving forward, a new online experience for children and parents.
“They will notice the difference. It is the biggest step forward in safety since the invention of the internet. When it comes to children, that is something we celebrate.”
Also talking to the Telegraph, Kyle went on to add: “If platforms or sites signpost towards workarounds like VPNs, then that itself is a crime and will be tackled by these codes.”
This news has caused a response on social media, with one user writing on Reddit: “Nothing protects children more than facing criminal punishment, for wanting privacy.”
And another added: “The Online Safety Bill is bad enough, we don't need to make things worse than it already is. Why can't these parents just use parental controls? The rest of the country is having to suffer this bulls*** because some parents just can't be arsed to parent their kids.”