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Utah's new law, effective May 6, 2026, legally requires websites to age-verify…
Brief
Matthew D. Green warns that Utah's law, effective May 6, 2026, forces websites to age-verify anyone physically in Utah even if using a VPN and bars sites handling 'material harmful to minors' from sharing VPN instructions or bypasses. EFF calls it a 'liability trap' that will push sites to block VPNs or require global ID checks, harming journalists, survivors, activists and travelers, and may set an international precedent.
Why it matters
Utah's new law, effective May 6, 2026, legally requires websites to age-verify anyone physically located in Utah even if they use a VPN, and bans sites that handle 'material harmful to minors' from sharing VPN instructions or offering geofence bypasses.
Key details
- EFF calls the law a 'liability trap'; because sites cannot reliably detect true user locations when VPNs are used, operators will likely either block known VPN IPs outright or impose ID-based age verification globally, subjecting millions to invasive identity checks.
- Named collateral victims include journalists protecting sources, domestic abuse survivors, activists, remote workers, travelers, and privacy-conscious users; similar moves are being discussed internationally (UK Children's Commissioner, France's Minister Delegate) and the EU plans age verification across 27 states by end of 2026 (EVP Henna Virkkunen admits no VPN-bypass plan).