Utah becomes the first US state to target VPNs with a strict age verification law, but top providers refuse to budge
- Utah’s SB 73 takes effect today, September 3, but ongoing legal challenges mean strict enforcement could remain paused.
- Anyone physically in Utah is legally treated as a resident, even if they use a VPN to mask their location, and websites face a $2,500 penalty per violation.
- Leading VPN providers confirm they will not change how their services operate in Utah, calling the legislation a "dangerous precedent" that fails to solve age assurance.
Utah has become ground zero for a major digital rights battle. Following months of intense legal wrangling, Utah’s Senate Bill 73 (SB 73) comes into effect today, September 3.
Originally scheduled for a May rollout, the law was temporarily paused following a court injunction. That initial pause has now expired, allowing the law to come into effect and making Utah the first US state to explicitly target VPN use for age verification mandates.
But the cybersecurity industry...
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