The number of people switching to VPNs is changing after the UK confirmed a block on visiting adult websites.
A major update to the way UK homes surf the web has been enforced this month, and it appears to have instantly changed the number of people using Virtual Private Networks or VPNs for short. The new rules, which have been announced by UK regulator Ofcom, mean people can no longer access adult websites without proving their age first.
The change has been designed to stop children accessing content that is clearly inappropriate, with Ofcom saying that 8% of children aged 8-14 in the UK have visited an adult site.
“This is a significant change to how adults in the UK access pornography, and is a key step in helping to protect children from harmful content when they’re online,” Ofcom said in a recent online post.
It’s clearly vital to stop younger people stumbling across photos and videos that are only suitable for adults but it appears UK web users aren’t keen on typing in their names, addresses and bank details when trying to access X-rated sites.
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In fact, the recent update appears to have created a massive boom in VPN usage. For those not aware, Virtual Private Networks are used to hide your IP address and encrypt online traffic.
They can also be used to trick the internet into thinking you are accessing the web from a different country, which has often been useful for people wanting to watch the US version of Netflix or when trying to access UK services such as Sky Go and BBC iPlayer when abroad.
Although it’s not clear if the Ofcom web ban is forcing more to switch to a VPN, one service says it has seen an unprecedented rise in users over the past week.
Proton VPN says there has been 1,400+ percent hourly increase over its usual baseline since July 25 – the date that Ofcom introduced the rules.
“At Proton VPN, we regularly see signups spike following major geopolitical events around the world, be they protests, contested elections, or government crackdowns,” Proton VPN confirmed.
A number of platforms also appear to have boomed, with 5 VPN services currently in the top 10 most downloaded on UK app stores.
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Ofcom’s update is clearly an important step to help keep children safe online but there have been concerns from some about the impact of adults having to hand over such sensitive data to companies they don’t know or trust.
“Like many new regulations, the Online Safety Act’s approach to age verification sounds ideal to stamp out content that isn’t intended for younger people,” said Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET.
“However, there are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information.”
IF you are considering using a VPN, make sure it is from a reputable firm and don’t be fooled by free versions that are scattered all over the web as these can often be unsafe and lead to data loss.