Utah Enacts Law Regulating VPN Usage for Age Verification

On May 6, 2026, Utah will enact Senate Bill 73, officially regulating the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as a means to bypass legally mandated age-verification protocols. This law, the first of its kind in the United States, targets commercial entities by prohibiting them from facilitating or encouraging the use of VPNs and imposing significant liability for age verification based on physical location rather than IP address. Under this framework, the burden falls on companies to ensure compliance, potentially pushing websites to block all known VPN IPs to mitigate legal risks.

The implications of this legislation are far-reaching; it not only restricts the use of VPNs but raises critical First Amendment concerns by limiting free expression and users’ rights to privacy. The law's feasibility is questionable as it seeks to control user behavior through technological means that may be ineffective, leading to extensive tracking and invasive checks for users. Moreover, this policy marks a troubling shift toward greater surveillance and control over digital privacy, posing risks to national autonomy in how online content is accessed and regulated.