In the UK, age verification requirements for internet services have been introduced, and VPN service registrations have increased by 1,400%
Proton, which provides the VPN service 'Proton VPN,' has revealed that the number of VPN service users has increased by 1,400% compared to the previous year, following the start of age verification under the 'Online Safety Act' in the UK on July 25, 2025.
Proton VPN Observatory (2025) | Proton VPN
Proton VPN signups surge 1,400% as UK age verification law begins | Mashable
Under the Online Safety Act, websites including adult sites like Pornhub and dating services like Tinder and Hinge will be required to verify the age of visitors using methods such as facial recognition and banking verification to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
Such a move to verify the age of visitors is underway in France ahead of the UK, with Pornhub blocking access from France in June 2025. As a result, Proton reports that the number of new VPN service sign-ups has increased by 1,000%.
The number of VPN service subscribers increased by 1000% within 30 minutes of Pornhub's withdrawal from France, a more dramatic figure than TikTok's withdrawal from the US - GIGAZINE
In the UK, the number of new registrations for Proton VPN increased from midnight on July 25th, when age verification became more strictly enforced. The pace of increase in registrations accelerated further by 9am the following morning, and Proton said, 'We expect to see even more registrations over the weekend,' but added, 'This is a clear indication that adults are concerned about the impact legal age verification will have on their privacy.'
The black line below shows the number of new registrations for Proton VPN. You can see that the graph shows a gentle decline with a peak at noon almost every day, but then jumps up on July 25th.
Just a few minutes after the Online Safety Act went into effect last night, Proton VPN signups originating in the UK surged by more than 1,400%.
— Proton VPN (@ProtonVPN) July 25, 2025
Unlike previous surges, this one is sustained, and is significantly higher than when France lost access to adult content. pic.twitter.com/W9R5FQBWKa
'Our service is used by millions of people around the world to overcome censorship and privacy concerns, and we can usually associate these spikes in registrations with large-scale civil unrest,' Proton VPN said in a statement.
Proton VPN is a tool used globally by many in their pursuit to overcome censorship and privacy threats. We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest.
— Proton VPN (@ProtonVPN) July 25, 2025
Find out more: https://t.co/cAlnIsv7tn pic.twitter.com/oYadltvxVa
in Web Service, Posted by logc_nt