Major rise in VPN use in the UK because of new online verification rules

People in the United Kingdom have shown more interest in VPN services in recent days. This is most likely because of the new online verification rules, which were introduced last week to protect children online.

Last Friday, the Online Safety Act went into effect. The legislation is designed to prevent minors from accessing websites that contain pornographic material, as well as other harmful content, such as information regarding self-mutilation, eating disorders, or suicide.

One of the rules in the Online Safety Act requires website owners and app developers to implement age verification systems and controls to check the age of their users. Platforms that refuse to comply face penalties of up to £18 million, or 10 percent of their annual global turnover, whichever is greater.

From the outset, critics have been skeptical about the plans, as they believe they will be ineffective. They may just be right.

A growing number of people in the United Kingdom are turning to tools that hide the users’ location. Data from Google Trends shows a surge in search queries for VPN services in the UK this weekend. In addition, data from Sensor Tower shows that five of the ten most popular free apps in the UK App Store last week were VPN apps.

Proton, a Geneva-based tech company focused on privacy-friendly online services, experienced a more than 1,800 percent increase in daily sign-ups from the UK after the new age verification rules went into effect.

“We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest. This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy,” a Proton spokesperson told the Financial Times.

NordVPN said that there has been a 1,000 percent increase in purchases from the UK of VPN subscriptions since before the age verification rules took effect.

Ofcom, the UK’s regulator on all forms of communication, is aware that the age verification systems aren’t a “silver bullet”, but is still happy with the legislation.

“Until now, kids could easily stumble across porn and other online content that’s harmful to them without even looking for it. Age checks will help prevent that. We’re now assessing compliance to make sure platforms have them in place, and companies that fall short should expect to face enforcement action,” Oliver Griffiths, Group Director for Online Safety at Ofcom, told the Financial Times.