US states weigh VPN restrictions to protect minors online
Lawmakers in Wisconsin and Michigan are pushing bills that would force websites and internet providers to block VPN use for accessing content deemed harmful to minors, prompting strong criticism from digital rights advocates.
US legislators in Wisconsin and Michigan are weighing proposals that would restrict the use of VPNs to access sites deemed harmful to minors. The bills build on age-verification rules for websites hosting sexual content, which lawmakers say are too easy to bypass when users connect via VPNs.
In Wisconsin, a bill that has already passed the State Assembly would require adult sites to both verify age and block visitors using VPNs, potentially making the state the first in the US to outlaw VPN use for accessing such content if the Senate approves it.
In Michigan, similar legislation would go further by obliging internet providers to monitor and block VPN connections, though that proposal has yet to advance.
The Digital Rights Group and the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue that the approach would erode privacy for everyone, not just minors.
It warns that blanket restrictions would affect businesses, students, journalists and abuse survivors who rely on VPNs for security, calling the measures ‘surveillance dressed up as safety’ and urging lawmakers instead to improve education, parental tools and support for safer online environments.
The debate comes as several European countries, including France, Italy and the UK, have introduced age-verification rules for pornography sites, but none have proposed banning VPNs.
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