VPNs top download charts as age verification law kicks in

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

VPNs top download charts as age verification law kicks in

28 July 2025

Liv McMahon
Technology reporter

Virtual private network (VPN) apps have become the most downloaded on Apple's App Store in the UK after sites such as PornHub, Reddit and X began requiring age verification of users on Friday.

VPNs can disguise your location online - allowing you to use the internet as though you are in another country.

It means that people are likely using them to bypass requirements of the Online Safety Act, which mandated platforms with certain adult content to start checking the age of users.

As of Monday morning, half of the top ten free apps in Apple's app download charts in the UK appeared to be for VPN services.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn72ydj70g5o

________________________________________________

Proton VPN reported a 1400% spike in hourly signups after the act came into effect.

[J_William_Ryan]

1. "VPNs can disguise your location online..."

Everyone should be using a VPN whether accessing adult sites or not.

[T_i_B]

2. The Online Safety Act is a total disaster

All it will do is drive people onto the dark web.

And the best it's supporters can do in response to any of the concerns raised is to accuse anyone raising said concerns of being on the side of the nonces.