Utah Delays Enforcement of VPN Age-Verification Law Pending Legal Challenge

Enforcement Halted

Utah authorities have agreed to temporarily halt the enforcement of a law targeting VPN usage within the state. The Department of Commerce stated it will not enforce the measure, which went into effect on Thursday, while awaiting a federal judge's decision on a legal challenge.

First State to Target VPNs

Utah became the first U.S. state to pass a law specifically targeting VPN usage earlier this year. Known as SB 73, the measure was presented as an amendment to the state's age verification laws, aiming to restrict access to adult content. The law stipulates that individuals within the state are considered to be accessing websites from Utah, regardless of VPN use, and prohibits websites hosting "material harmful to minors" from facilitating or encouraging VPN use.

Implications for Privacy

While the law does not outright ban VPNs, it assigns liability to websites for their users' VPN usage, a stance that has raised concerns among privacy and digital rights advocates. These groups have warned that such age verification laws could lead to broader restrictions on VPNs, potentially impacting all users, not just minors attempting to bypass age detection. The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted that this could force websites to ban known VPN IPs or mandate global age verification, subjecting many users to identity checks or VPN blocks.

Legal Challenge and Delay

The law, originally signed in March and set to take effect in May, saw its initial rollout paused after Aylo, the owner of Pornhub, challenged it in federal court. Utah has now agreed to delay enforcement again until the court case concludes. The duration of this legal process is currently unclear.