The EU targets VPNs: they're a loophole for age verification systems

VPNs could soon be in the sights of the EU, ready to intervene to improve age verification systems that, at this moment, can often be bypassed by using a VPN, a service that offers the possibility to encrypt data traffic and "bypass" geographic blocks by choosing a server located in another country for browsing.

VPNs at Risk?
VPNs are not required to implement age verification systems for users and can be used to evade any verification systems introduced in the EU for accessing various web services.
In the document Virtual private networks and the protection of children online, published on the EU's website, an analysis of what happened in the United Kingdom with the introduction of the Online Safety Act is reported, designed to prevent young people from accessing harmful content.
Since this regulation came into force in 2025, "half of the top 10 free apps in the download rankings of British stores have been VPN services. One app developer reported an 1,800% increase in downloads in the first month following the enforcement of the regulation."
The document goes on to define the current role of VPNs as "a regulatory loophole that must be closed." Consequently, in the near future, VPN services may also have to deal with stringent regulatory oversight that could, in fact, limit their use, potentially introducing age verification systems, for instance. The situation will need to be monitored in the near future, but it is clear that something could change for VPNs very soon.