VPNs top download charts as age verification law kicks in [View all]
Source: BBC
VPNs top download charts as age verification law kicks in
28 July 2025
Liv McMahon
Technology reporter
Virtual private network (VPN) apps have become the most downloaded on Apple's App Store in the UK after sites such as PornHub, Reddit and X began requiring age verification of users on Friday.
VPNs can disguise your location online - allowing you to use the internet as though you are in another country.
It means that people are likely using them to bypass requirements of the Online Safety Act, which mandated platforms with certain adult content to start checking the age of users.
As of Monday morning, half of the top ten free apps in Apple's app download charts in the UK appeared to be for VPN services.
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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn72ydj70g5o
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Proton VPN reported a 1400% spike in hourly signups after the act came into effect.
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