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There's a lot of talk about VPNs right now.
Virtual Private Networks — more commonly referred to as VPNs — are experiencing unprecedented demand across the UK as record numbers of Britons come face-to-face with strict new age checks imposed on websites in the UK.
At the time of writing, 3 out of 5 of the most-downloaded free apps on iPhone are VPNs.
Why the sudden interest in VPNs? The Online Safety Act, introduced last month, now mandates that websites, streaming services, and mobile apps that host adult material must implement robust age checks. This is all designed to stop those under 18 from accessing inappropriate content.
When you attempt to access a website that hosts restricted content, you'll need to pass the new strict age verification process, which requires uploading a selfie, credit card number, UK mobile, or other methods | PRESS ASSOCIATION Ahead of the enforcement, research commissioned by Ofcom showed that over 7 in 10 (71%) felt the measures would make a positive difference to the safety of children online.
However, the requirements of these checks mean many Britons aged over 18 feel cautious about going through the Government-approved process themselves. To visit a website that hosts content that needs to be protected by the new age checks, you'll need to verify your age with one of these methods:
- Facial age estimation – Show your face via photo or video, and technology analyses it to estimate your age
- Open banking – Give permission for the age-check service to securely access information from your bank account information to assess whether you're over 18
- Digital identity services – Use a digital identity wallet, which can securely store and share information which proves your age in a digital format
- Credit card age checks – Provide your credit card details and a payment processor checks whether the card number is valid. As you must be over 18 to obtain a credit card, this immediately verifies you're over 18
- Email-based age estimation – Provide a valid email address, and technology analyses other online services where it has been used – such as banking or utility providers — to estimate your age
- Mobile network operator age checks – Grant permission for an age-check service to confirm whether or not your mobile phone number has age filters applied to it. If there are no restrictions, this confirms you are over 18
- Photo-ID matching – Upload an image of an official Government ID that includes your Date of Birth, like a driving licence or passport. You'll also need to upload an image of yourself – these are compared to confirm if the document is yours
Regulated by Ofcom, the regulations shield children from pornographic material, as well as content that relates to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders, which research shows has reached children as young as eight years old.
The age checks listed above must operate without unnecessarily storing personal information, with facial estimation tools designed to assess age without retaining images or identifying individuals.
Nonetheless, Britons are demonstrably cautious about these strict new checks, with so many turning to VPNs instead of sharing a facial scan or a photograph of their ID with the verification system on your favourite website.
If you're an adult aged over 18, but concerned about the idea of sharing personal details — like images of your passport, driving licence or other photo identification, credit card details, or facial scans — with porn websites, forums, or other adult content, you might be looking for an alternative.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle has been closely involved with the push to implement the Online Safety Act across the UK
|PRESS ASSOCIATION
Award-winning ExpressVPN encrypts everything you do online by routing all communication between your device and the website you're visiting via one of its servers. The encryption scrambles your data into an unreadable format, preventing third parties from monitoring your activity.
It stops advertisers, broadband providers, and even governments from checking what you've been up to online. Since there's no way to check the list of websites that you're visiting, speed limitations — like those put in place by some broadband providers — won't work either.
It's why there's even been some talk of the UK Government looking to ban VPNs in the UK, although there's no sign that No.10 is seriously looking at this proposal at the moment.
To keep everything secure, ExpressVPN relies on military-grade encryption that shields all your internet traffic from surveillance. Unlike free alternatives that compromise your security, ExpressVPN maintains a strict no-logs policy, ensuring your online activities remain completely private without risk of data harvesting or exposure to cyber criminals.
The service utilises TrustedServer technology alongside proprietary Lightway protocol, delivering enhanced security and reliability whilst maintaining fast connection speeds.
You'll benefit from additional protection features, including an integrated ad blocker, Threat Manager that shields your device from malicious websites and trackers, plus ExpressVPN Keys - a built-in password manager that creates and stores unlimited passwords at no extra cost.
However, these systems alone won't let you swerve the mandatory age checks in place across the UK.
ExpressVPN lets you choose the VPN server location that your internet traffic is rerouted through, making it appear as if you've connected to the internet from that location instead of the UK.
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This is what has enabled Britons aged over 18 to skip the age checks and avoid sharing a selfie or image of their passport. How does it work? If you choose a server based in another country, VPNs can make it appear as if you're located outside of the UK — outside of the jurisdiction of the Online Safety Act.
By picking a VPN server in another country, websites can no longer detect you're browsing from within the UK, so the mandatory age checks and other restrictions imposed by Online Safety Act vanish. It's really no different to what would happen if you jumped on a plane on holiday and tried to login to any of these services from abroad. It's comparable to using a foreign phone box rather than your own mobile – the recipient can't identify your true location or identity.
The age verification systems implemented under the Online Safety Act rely on websites detecting a UK-based IP address to trigger identity checks. For those who don't know, an IP address is the unique identifier assigned to every device when it connects to the internet.
ExpressVPN operates ultra-fast servers across 105 countries worldwide, with many locations featuring 10Gbps connections that ensure you experience minimal buffering and consistent streaming quality.
It only takes a single tap to reroute everything you do online via a VPN, so everything is protected and secure | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICE When you subscribe to ExpressVPN, you receive 8 simultaneous connections, enabling protection across multiple devices within your household. If you want to take advantage of these extra connections, ExpressVPN offers a comprehensive list of supported devices, including iPhone, Android, iPad, Windows PC, Mac, or Linux ...you'll find dedicated software that seamlessly integrates with your preferred platform.
The service extends beyond traditional devices, offering compatibility with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Wi-Fi routers, and gaming consoles, including PlayStation and Xbox. You can even utilise MediaStreamer functionality to enable access on devices that typically don't support VPN connections.
This extensive platform coverage ensures you maintain consistent privacy protection across all your internet-connected devices, regardless of which operating system or hardware you prefer for browsing. Its clever Device Groups feature, which is primarily available when running ExpressVPN on your Wi-Fi router, lets you connect different gadgets to specific geographic locations at the same time, so you could browse from a UK server on your laptop, but accessing content from another country on your smartphone.
This flexibility ensures you maintain privacy across all your devices without needing separate subscriptions, making ExpressVPN a cost-effective solution for comprehensive online protection.
ExpressVPN backs its service with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the platform risk-free before committing to a longer subscription. If you're hesitant about investing in a multi-year plan to secure the best pricing, this guarantee functions as an extended trial period where you can evaluate whether the service meets your privacy needs.
Should you encounter any difficulties whilst configuring your connection or navigating the age verification landscape, ExpressVPN provides round-the-clock customer support via live chat. Their support team can assist with installation, server selection, and troubleshooting, ensuring you maintain uninterrupted access to your preferred content whilst protecting your personal information from unnecessary exposure.
Virtual Private Networks, like ExpressVPN, mask your real location by routing traffic through servers in different countries, tricking services into thinking you're elsewhere | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICE What is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an entrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.
The most reliable VPNs employ the same encryption standard as governments in the United Kingdom and the United States, ensuring that even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) connected to Wi-Fi cannot record the websites you visit, the duration of your sessions on each site, or your current location. This protection extends to advertisers, trackers, and hackers, preventing them from monitoring your online behaviour.
Furthermore, personal information entered into online forms and sensitive data transmitted to and from your device will be safeguarded from hackers using strong encryption provided by a VPN.