On May 6, 2026, Utah will become the first U.S. state to enforce a law that directly targets VPNs for age verification on adult websites, a move that has sparked significant privacy concerns among digital rights advocates and users alike.
The legislative journey began with the introduction of Senate Bill 73, which Governor Spencer Cox signed into law on March 19, 2026. This law mandates that companies must ensure age verification for users accessing adult content, regardless of whether those users employ VPNs to mask their identities. Notably, the law does not outright ban VPN usage; instead, it creates a liability trap for websites that may struggle to verify user locations accurately.
As the implementation date approaches, various stakeholders have raised alarms about the potential consequences of this legislation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has expressed concerns that the law could subject millions of users to invasive identity checks or blocks on their VPN services. Furthermore, the law prohibits adult websites from providing any guidance on how to use VPNs to circumvent age verification checks, effectively discouraging their use.
According to sources familiar with the matter, this legislation represents a broader trend among governments aiming to regulate online content more stringently and curb what they perceive as obstacles—namely, VPNs—that hinder effective enforcement of such regulations. The implications for digital privacy are profound, as many fear that this could lead to increased surveillance and erosion of First Amendment rights.
Experts like those at NordVPN have criticized the technical feasibility of complying with such regulations, suggesting that blocking known VPN and proxy IP addresses would be an unending challenge—what they describe as a “technical whack-a-mole” situation. As they noted, “It is a liability trap,” highlighting the difficulties faced by companies trying to balance compliance with user privacy.
The current state of affairs leaves many uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of the law in enforcing age verification while maintaining user privacy. Officials have not clarified how websites can comply without infringing on individual rights or how they will handle users who legitimately seek anonymity through VPNs.
This new legislative framework in Utah may set a precedent for other states considering similar measures. As digital privacy advocates continue to voice their concerns, the conversation surrounding online content regulation and First Amendment rights is likely to intensify leading up to and following the implementation date.
