A Dangerous Shift in Policy: Lawmakers Are Now Targeting VPNs
Just when it seemed like age-verification laws couldn’t get more intrusive, lawmakers in Wisconsin, Michigan, and even the UK are now exploring something far more alarming: restricting or outright banning the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Age-verification mandates were already problematic, forcing users to submit highly sensitive personal data just to access legal content. Now, because people are using VPNs to maintain their privacy, legislators have decided the “solution” is to eliminate the privacy tools themselves.
Yes! VPNs.
Wisconsin’s proposed A.B. 105/S.B. 130 requires websites hosting anything the state deems “harmful to minors” to verify user age and block VPN access entirely. The definitions in the bill are so broad that they could include everything from basic health education to discussions of human anatomy. Despite this, the bill has already passed the State Assembly.
Why This Approach Is Technically Impossible
VPNs work by routing your connection through secure, encrypted servers. Websites only see the VPN server’s IP address, not your real location. So when lawmakers demand that sites “block VPN users from Wisconsin,” they’re asking for something no website can reliably detect.
Websites would have two choices:
1️⃣ Block all VPN traffic globally, or
2️⃣ Stop serving users in Wisconsin entirely.
Either outcome means one state’s flawed policy could disrupt privacy tools for millions.
VPNs Are Not a “Loophole” They’re Essential Security Tools
VPNs are core infrastructure for modern digital life. Millions rely on them daily not for evading laws, but for safety and security.
- Businesses use VPNs to secure remote work, protect data, and defend against cyber threats.
- Students rely on university VPNs to access course materials, research databases, and internal campus systems.
- Vulnerable individuals, including domestic violence survivors, journalists, LGBTQ+ youth, and activists, use VPNs to stay safe from surveillance and harassment.
- Everyday users rely on VPNs to prevent tracking, data harvesting, and ISP-level profiling.
Blocking VPNs doesn’t protect anyone; it makes the internet less safe for everyone.
A Guaranteed Privacy Nightmare
If VPNs are banned or blocked, users will be forced to verify their age using:
- government IDs
- credit cards
- biometric data
- Third-party verification tools
This creates massive, centralized databases linking identities to browsing habits with a long history of data breaches to prove that these systems are anything but secure.
Forcing people to sacrifice privacy to access legal content isn’t safe. It’s surveillance.
Redefining “Harmful to Minors” to Justify Censorship
Wisconsin’s bill broadens the definition of “harmful to minors” far beyond established legal limits. Under the proposed language, content that simply discusses sex, health, or anatomy could be restricted even when it is educational.
This expanded definition could affect:
- sex education resources
- LGBTQ+ health sites
- medical information
- literature, art, and music
- entire social media platforms
This isn’t a mistake, it’s intentional. Broad definitions allow governments to decide what content is “appropriate,” granting them broad censorship power that disproportionately harms marginalized communities.
And Even If It Passes, It Won’t Work
Let’s assume this law somehow takes effect. Here’s what will actually happen:
- Users will switch to non-commercial VPNs, private proxies, or custom servers.
- People will spin up inexpensive cloud-based tunnels for a few dollars a month.
- The users these laws claim to target will bypass restrictions in hours, not months.
The only people these laws truly impact are the ones who depend on VPNs for legitimate privacy, safety, and security.
Age-verification laws already don’t work. Banning VPNs won’t fix them.
A False Choice
People are turning to VPNs because they want and deserve privacy. Instead of treating this as a signal that current laws are invasive, lawmakers have decided the real problem is that privacy tools exist at all.
This is a false choice.
Protecting young people online does not require:
- mass surveillance
- invasive data collection
- banning essential security tools
If lawmakers genuinely care about online safety, they should invest in digital education, provide better parental tools, and address the real root causes of harm.
What they shouldn’t do is wage war on privacy.
VPNs are essential. Digital privacy is essential. And policies written by lawmakers who don’t understand the technology will only create more harm.
If you’re in Wisconsin, now is the time to contact your State Senator and urge them to oppose A.B. 105/S.B. 130. Our privacy matters, and so do the tools that protect it.
