The U.K.'s Online Safety Act has sparked an explosion in VPN downloads
The U.K. government clearly aimed the Online Safety Act at restricting access to porn websites. But the law's broad requirements—especially around age verification and content moderation—are sweeping up other parts of the web, too.
Because of this, it's a great time to be a VPN provider. Usage of these services, which route traffic through other countries to disguise a user's location and prevent tracking, has jumped more than 1,000% in the days following the act's passage.
'It's no wonder VPN downloads soared in the U.K. over the weekend,' says Kate Ruane, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology. 'Privacy and free expression are human rights, and governments should protect them by passing laws to enhance people's privacy and free expression rights, not endanger them.'
There's growing concern that the new rules are causing more harm than they prevent. In trying to keep children away from harmful content, the government may have inadvertently pushed tens—or even hundreds—of thousands of people toward tools that make lawful tracking and oversight far more difficult. Critics argue the implementation has been more performative than effective, with little meaningful enforcement behind the measures.
Even those who represent VPN providers are surprised by the sudden surge in interest. 'The surge in VPN usage we've observed across the U.K. is a direct response to the Online Safety Act's extensive controls and age verification requirements,' says Alexey Kozliuk, chair of the VPN Guild, an industry group.
VPNs remain legal in the U.K., but their sudden rise in popularity appears to have taken the government by surprise. Officials are reportedly considering restrictions on advertising the services. While VPNs can offer a layer of privacy, not all are trustworthy—especially free options, which may come with risks like data tracking, harvesting, or malware. 'Users should look for transparent privacy policies, a strict no-logs policy, robust encryption, and a proven track record,' Kozliuk says.
Cybersecurity experts share that concern. 'The purported benefit of protecting private data by avoiding submission to a third-party age verifier is compromised if instead they entrust another third party with their browsing data,' says George Loukas, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Greenwich. 'Of course, there is a variety of more and less reputable VPNs with and without no-logs policies, but I insist that VPNs should be used as cybersecurity tools, not for circumvention of restrictions,' he adds.
Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software, notes that the U.K.'s rush to VPNs—and the government's potential pushback—puts the country in dubious company alongside China, Russia, and Iran. 'That should tell you everything,' he says. 'People are turning to VPNs because they don't trust the system, and who can blame them?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
From AI training to banning VPNs – here are 8 questions the internet is asking about the Online Safety Act
It's been almost two weeks since the Online Safety Act was introduced in the UK. The law requires websites and apps to conduct age verification checks before allowing users to view content deemed as potentially harmful to under 18s or explicit. Despite the law being well intentioned, people are unhappy at having to hand over sensitive personal information to third-party companies. Many have turned to the best VPNs in an attempt to bypass age verification checks. Supporters and opponents of the law have made their views clear but there are still questions being asked. People are wondering how their data is used and stored, what the risks are, and are even asking if there'll be a VPN ban. We've pulled together some of the most popular questions people are asking and give them our best answer. This is probably a good place to start. The Online Safety Act 2023 is a new law introduced by the UK government which aims to keep children, and adults, safe online. In an explainer, the UK government said "platforms will be required to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content." The main way this is done is through age verification checks. In order to access age-restricted content, users will have to prove they are over 18. This can include submitting photo ID, completing credit card or bank checks, and uploading a live selfie. OFCOM has the power to enforce regulations and fine those found to be breaking the law. Fines may be up to 10% of global revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater. There are numerous privacy and cybersecurity risks posed by the Online Safety Act. Privacy advocates believe the law imposes on people's online freedoms and argue we shouldn't need to hand over our data to browse the web. Cybersecurity experts see it as a "disaster waiting to happen." We're trusting our highly sensitive personal information to third-parties, many of which are not based in the UK. These age check providers store data for different lengths of time but it only takes one to suffer a data breach and risk serious consequences for huge amounts of people – one expert believed this was a matter of when, not if. We fully support the law's goals, but we're not surprised it doesn't cover personal data safety. There must be a balance between protecting vulnerable internet users but not compromising our data privacy and security. The answer varies between providers. Persona, Yoti, and AgeGO are some notable providers. Persona, used by Reddit, says it retains personal data "for as long as necessary to provide the service and fulfill the verification you have requested." But it also says data collection may vary depending on how you use the service and how third-parties implement it. In Reddit's case, the site says Persona doesn't retain your uploaded photo for longer than 7 days. Yoti, which is used by Spotify, says it stores your data for up to 28 days, and doesn't have access to it beyond that. Yoti says some of its clients will configure the service to delete your data as soon as age verification is complete. AgeGO says it does "not access or retain your personal data during the verification process." However it uses third-party providers in the age-check process and only receives the results. Although it improves anonymity, these third-parties are not disclosed so we don't know how they process and store data. This leaves us asking if AgeGO is safe to use. This is a big concern people have and is another question which doesn't have a straightforward answer. AI-powered age estimation techniques are employed by some age-check providers. AI will analyze a picture of your face, or even your browsing habits, to determine whether you're over 18. Age-check providers, including Persona, have said it uses "uploaded images of identity documents" to train its services and enable it to understand what documents and their features look like. Age verification on social media app X is another which utilizes AI-based age estimation, using its own AI systems. Its Age Assurance on X policy doesn't state how its AI systems use this data. However its wider privacy policy states it may use the data it collects "to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models." We would therefore exercise caution in uploading your information to providers using AI-based age estimation. By the letter of the law, any site or app hosting adult content must introduce age verification checks and they're present on many popular sites. Reddit and X require age checks, as well as Spotify – something which has baffled people online. There have been complaints of overreach and unintended consequences of the legislation. Reddit users have noted that subreddits discussing sobriety, mental health support, and combating addiction have been impacted. Wikipedia may have to introduce checks and it is fighting the regulations as a result. The BBC reported that information and news reports covering the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have also been blocked by age verification rules. Reports of this type of content being blocked is worrying, especially at a time when internet censorship and disinformation is highly prevalent. The UK government has said "platforms should not arbitrarily block or remove content and instead must take a risk-based, proportionate approach to child safety duties." It also said the law is "not designed to censor political debate." It "does not require platforms to age gate any content other than those which present the most serious risks to children." No, the government will not look at any age verification related information you upload. Beyond passing the law, the government has little to no involvement in its day-to-day running or enforcement – and this makes the process quite inefficient. There are multiple age-check providers, requiring multiple proofs of age. You'll likely have to prove your age multiple times as not every site uses the same provider. Some experts, and internet users, believe the UK government should have set up a secure, government-run, age-check system and database. This would be more streamlined and having only one database would reduce the risk of data breaches. Major VPN providers saw a surge in sign ups in the first week of the law's introduction as people searched for ways to avoid age verification checks. The likes of Proton VPN, NordVPN, Opera VPN, and Surfshark – as well as suspect free VPNs – rose up the Apple App Store's top charts. In 2022, Labour MP Sarah Champion proposed an amendment to the Online Safety Act – then still a Bill – which would see OFCOM investigate if VPN use was undermining internet regulations. The amendment didn't pass and on July 28 2025, Champion responded to the news of a UK VPN surge. She said in a tweet she warned the previous government this would happen and "child protection should always be the priority." So frustrating, I did warn the last Government this would happen, but was shut down. Child protection should always be the priority. 😞 28, 2025 The UK's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, has acknowledged VPN use is rising and would look "very closely" at how they're being used – however, he said he would not ban VPNs. So, it is very unlikely the UK government will ban VPNs. The law is well intentioned. It aims to protect children from seeing content they shouldn't and this can only be a good thing. It can be easy to access harmful content and children shouldn't be able to accidentally access it. However, as we've detailed, the law's implementation has raised serious concerns around data privacy and security. So, while its motives are a good thing, the law risks compromising our safety in other ways. A petition calling on the UK government to repeal the law is approaching 500,000 signatures. The government has said it won't repeal the law and Peter Kyle has said those wanting to overturn it are "on the side of predators." These types of accusations do nothing but widen divisions and fail to recognise the genuine concerns people have regarding their personal information and its safety. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Law enforcement department in Denver metro area begins using AI to assist with police reports
Police in Wheat Ridge are getting a technology upgrade. As of Aug. 1, the department has begun using artificial intelligence to help officers write their reports. "It was hand notes. You could go through a notepad in two shifts because you're writing everything down," said Sgt. Jamie Watson. The department's AI technology works directly with body-worn cameras. "I don't have to sit there and go back in my memory and go now 'What did she say about this?' It's right there -- it's transcribed for you," Watson said. To demonstrate, Watson simulated a traffic stop: "Speed limit there is 40 (mph). And I hate to tell you, you were doing 52," she said during the demonstration. Once the body camera is activated, the system begins running and listening to the interaction in real time. Within seconds, a report is generated for the officer to review. "It says, 'On August 5, 2025, at approximately 2:29 p.m., I conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Wheat Ridge Police Department.' Now, I never said that -- it just picks up your location based on where you are," Watson explained. Wheat Ridge police spokesperson Alex Rose said the program costs about $100,000 a year and is an addition to the department's existing contract with Axon for body cameras. "In a net-net, you ask our officers, it's saving about 40% to 60% of their time behind a computer writing reports," Rose said. Rose says that means there's more time that officers can now spend out in the community. The department's new AI tool joins a growing list of technologies used by law enforcement agencies, including body-worn cameras and automatic license plate readers. Anaya Robertson, policy director at the ACLU Colorado, said the use of AI in police reporting raises legal and ethical questions. "When we're talking about incident reports and case notes -- those are often admissible in court," Robertson said. "There's a general bias that AI doesn't make mistakes, which is problematic when you think about something being used as evidence." He emphasized the need for transparency. "(It's) needed so the community knows their law enforcement agency wants to utilize this kind of technology," she said. In Wheat Ridge, the AI-generated report is only considered a first draft. Officers are prompted to include additional observations and personal reflections the AI may not capture. Built-in safeguards require officers to review the report carefully. Errors are intentionally placed in the drafts and must be corrected before submission. Watson, who participated in the testing phase, said the technology allows her to spend less time behind a desk and more time in the field. "It is an incredible benefit to the officer," she said. According to Rose, the department consulted with the district attorney's office, which approved the use of AI-generated reports. Each report includes a disclaimer noting the use of artificial intelligence in its creation.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why SES AI Stock Plunged Today
Key Points SES AI reported worse-than-expected Q2 results. The company just regained compliance with the NYSE yesterday. SES AI shares are likely to remain volatile for a while. 10 stocks we like better than Ses Ai › Shares of the electric vehicle (EV) battery technology company SES AI Corporation (NYSE: SES) fell hard today after the company released Q2 results yesterday that missed analysts' consensus estimates for both its top and bottom lines. SES AI stock was down by 17.5% as of 11:05 a.m. ET, giving up all the gains it made yesterday after the company regained compliance with the New York Stock Exchange's listing requirements. A disappointing quarter Just one day after receiving a note from the New York Stock Exchange that it was back in compliance with the exchange -- after its shares remained at an average closing price of $1 for 30 days -- SES AI's stocks fell sharply as investors processed the company's unimpressive quarter. SES AI's revenue was $3.5 million in Q2, below Wall Street's consensus estimate of $4.5 million, and the company's loss of $0.07 per share was worse than analysts' expectation of a loss of $0.05 per share. Despite the lackluster results, SES AI founder and CEO, Qichao Hu, said the company's "path to profitability remains strong, and we are on track to reach our year-end revenue target of between $15 million to $25 million." One bright spot for the company is that it ended the second quarter with no debt and $229 million in cash. A bumpy road ahead Investors' upbeat response to SES AI achieving NYSE compliance yesterday -- followed by today's sharp sell-off after disappointing Q2 results -- shows that this stock is likely to stay volatile in the near term. Even with the company sticking to its outlook of annual revenue between $15 million and $25 million for the year and SES AI not having any debt right now, investors should be cautious about buying this EV stock. Regaining compliance is certainly a step in the right direction, but its Q2 results show that SES AI likely has a long way to go before investors should consider buying it. Should you invest $1,000 in Ses Ai right now? Before you buy stock in Ses Ai, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Ses Ai wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $631,505!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,103,313!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,039% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 181% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why SES AI Stock Plunged Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
