VPNs and age verification laws: what you should know

Age verification laws are spreading across countries, but internet users are concerned about what it means for their privacy when accessing adult websites. While the goal of the laws are to protect minors, they also come with risks like potential data breaches or identity theft.

As robust age-checking measures become required, users turn to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the requirement and protect their personal information. According to the BBC, VPN downloads surged by 1800% after the UK’s Online Safety Act went into effect.

However, these laws introduce surveillance systems, and internet users shouldn’t have to rely on VPNs, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). So, I’ll break down how VPNs can be used to navigate age verification laws and their legality.

What are the current age verification laws?

Age verification laws are becoming widely adopted throughout Western countries. Not long ago, the UK Online Safety Act changed how users access the internet with their UK age verification law. As of 25 July 2025, users are required to complete strict age checks when accessing adult platforms.

Similar to the UK, Australia’s Online Safety Act goes into effect in December 2025. Yet, users are already noticing that platforms like Discord are rolling out age verification systems ahead of time.

In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) has been in effect even before UK’s law (since August 2023), but it doesn’t mandate a unified age verification system. Still , the EU is preparing an official age verification app and EU Digital Identity Wallets, which are expected to roll out in December 2026.

The United States has no federal law for age verification, but some US state laws have been present for years already, including Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee, with multiple to come. For example, under HB 96 in Ohio and House Bill 2112 in Arizona, age verification goes into effect in September 2025.

What are the risks of age verification laws?

Age verification laws require users to give up their private data to access sensitive content, which isn’t ideal for privacy-conscious users.

 One of the main risks with age verification laws is data leaks. Such systems require giving out your personal data, like government ID or facial ID, to confirm your birth rate. If companies are irresponsible with it, it could result in data breaches or identity theft.

“Since age verification software requires users to hand over extremely sensitive information, it opens the door for the risk of data breaches,” PornHub stated on their blog.

Additionally, AI-based age checks were found to be, in some cases, unreliable, which could still allow minors to access adult content.

A study by the National Institute of standards and technology found that in some populations, minors were more often incorrectly classified as adults than others. For example, minors with darker skin tones, particularly from East and West Africa, were more often determined older than they actually are.

Another interesting case is that Reddit users report that even using adult character photos (like Norman Reedus) helps successfully get through these age verification systems. It raises a question of whether these age checks are actually reliable at preventing minors from accessing adult content.

How can a VPN help?

A VPN changes your IP address to make it seem like you’re physically in the location you’re connected to. It’s the easiest way to avoid giving out your personal data to complete age checks. You can use it to connect to a server in a country where age verification isn’t required, like India or Germany.

You can see an example of how I bypassed age verification on Reddit from the UK below.

However, VPNs can only hide your IP address, not your cookies, GPS, or other information from your browser. While this data isn’t considered personally identifiable on its own, it could be used to build a comprehensive profile about you.

Still, most websites use the IP address to determine your location. It means that a VPN will generally work to bypass its age verification systems. The VPN will also encrypt your traffic, meaning that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t see what you browse online.

Which VPNs bypassed age verification laws

I’ve been researching and testing high-quality VPNs and how they bypass age verification laws for a few weeks now. During my tests, I checked which VPNs successfully unlocked the platforms without giving up your private data, tested their speeds, and evaluated their server network and pricing. Let’s review my insights in more detail.

NordVPN

NordVPN

1

9.7

/10

Visit NordVPN

Pros & cons

• Bypasses age verification on any platform
• 92% average speed retention rates
• Independently audited no-logs policy
• 10 simultaneous connections
• Malicious website and ad blockers

• Free trial only for Android users

NordVPN is the best VPN to bypass age verification on various websites and platforms. During my tests, I had no issues bypassing the age verification technology on Reddit, Discord, X, and multiple adult websites.

This VPN has thousands of servers in 118 countries. So, you’ll be able to find locations where age verification isn’t required, no matter where you are. Plus, it doesn’t have issues with lagging. In our NordVPN review, we found that it retained an average of 92% initial connection speeds per my tests.

You can get the Threat Protection feature, which blocks annoying ads and trackers. Plus, NordVPN’s privacy policy is independently audited, so you can be sure that your online activities remain private.

NordVPN prices start from $2.91/month and all plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can also get a free 3-day trial on Android devices through the Google Play Store.

Surfshark

Surfshark

1

9.6

/10

Visit Surfshark

Pros & cons

 

• No issues bypassing age verification
• High speed retention rates
• Some plans include an antivirus
• Affordable pricing
• Unlimited simultaneous connections

• Based in a 14-eyes surveillance alliance

Surfshark is an affordable VPN for bypassing age verification on many platforms that doesn’t compromise security or connection speed. I tried it on Discord, Reddit, and adult content sites, and it worked without any issues.

I tested Surfshark’s performance, and it showed an average of 89% speed retention rates. There was no buffering while watching NSFW videos or browsing through social media platforms.

During our Surfshark review, my team and I found out that it also comes with an antivirus on some plans. So, you get a full cybersecurity package. However, unlike NordVPN, Surfshark is based in a 14-eye surveillance alliance. That’s why I checked its privacy policy – it’s no-logs and independently audited. Plus, there are no reputational issues.

You can get Surfshark and its large server fleet in 100 starting from $1.99/month. I also received a free 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on top of it.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

1

9.5

/10

Visit ExpressVPN

Pros & cons

 

• Bypassed age verification laws
• Lagging-free speeds
• Audited no-logs policy
• Threat Manager

• Simultaneous connections depend on the plan

ExpressVPN is another VPN that works for bypassing age verification laws on different platforms. For example, when I tried to bypass Reddit, Discord, and X verification methods, I managed to do it with the first server I connected to.

During speed tests, I found that ExpressVPN isn’t as fast as NordVPN, but it still showed no lag. On average, it retained 88% of initial connection speeds.

Plus, this VPN comes with a Threat Protection feature, which blocks any malicious ads or trackers it can detect. As for the privacy policy, we found out that it’s independently audited and zero-logs in our ExpressVPN review.

The prices of ExpressVPN start from $3.49/month. It comes with a free 7-day trial on iOS and Android and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Is it legal to use a VPN to bypass age verification laws?

Bypassing age verification laws with a VPN is generally legal for consumers in most Western countries. With age verification laws, including the UK Online Safety Act and EU DSA, the liability for ensuring age checks falls upon the companies that own the websites that host adult content.

For example, when I read the UK Online Safety Act, I found that all it mentions about VPNs is that companies shouldn’t promote its use. The UK government states:

“...where platforms deliberately target UK children and promote VPN use, they could face enforcement action, including significant financial penalties. ”

However, there is no mention of disallowing the use of VPNs for consumers. You can use it to bypass age checks, with the exception when the VPN is prohibited in the platform’s terms of use or when VPN usage is illegal nation-wide.

For example, on 11 September, Michigan lawmakers proposed the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act. Its goal is not only to ban adult content online altogether, but also ban VPN usage. If enacted, associated charges could be up to $500,000.

VPNs shouldn’t be the ultimate answer

Age verification laws are already in effect in multiple US states and the UK, with Australia and the European Union to follow soon. While using a VPN is the simplest method to bypass age verification systems, internet users shouldn’t have to rely on it. As the EFF stated, such laws threaten user rights to speech and privacy, creating more harm than they want to reduce.

Until governments find more privacy-friendly age-checking alternatives, VPNs are the practical tools for bypassing age verification systems and securing your personal information. They also encrypt your online activities so that your ISP or even the government wouldn’t be able to track them.