Online Safety Act enforcement
On Friday July 25, 2025, a key part of the UK’s Online Safety Act came into force. Social media platforms and adult websites must now verify that British users are over 18 before showing content deemed harmful to children.
This “age assurance” requirement affects thousands of websites and apps, including X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and TikTok.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has begun enforcing the rules and says the checks are designed to prevent children from stumbling across pornography or self‑harm material. Platforms that fail to comply face fines of up to £18 million or 10 % of global turnover.
West Midlands teenagers and parents are among the first to experience the new age‑verification pop‑ups. Sites now ask for biometric scans, credit‑card checks or other proof of age.
Critics argue that this demands personal data from everyone, not just minors, raising privacy concerns. Even Ofcom acknowledges the new checks are “not a silver bullet” and won’t be “foolproof” for a determined teenager.
VPN surge undermines the rules
Within hours of the age‑verification deadline, virtual private network (VPN) providers reported record traffic from the UK.
These apps route a device’s internet traffic through servers in another country, masking the user’s location and allowing them to appear outside the UK.
According to Apple’s App Store rankings, VPNs occupied half of the top‑ten free app slots in Britain over the weekend.
Nord VPN subscriptions up 1,000%
Proton VPN, the top free app, said daily sign‑ups from UK users rose more than 1,800% when the rules kicked in. Nord VPN reported a 1,000% increase in UK subscriptions over the same period. Google Trends also recorded up to ten‑fold increases in VPN searches.
The spike has been so dramatic that Proton said it normally sees such demand only during periods of civil unrest. The company interpreted the surge as a sign that “adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy.”
VPNs are also widely used by people in China, Turkey and Iran to bypass censorship. Their growing use in Britain indicates how easily technology can circumvent local controls.
Local implications for the West Midlands
The West Midlands is home to one of the UK’s fastest‑growing tech sectors, centred around Birmingham’s Eastside and Coventry’s innovation district.
Many local developers and digital‑media businesses rely on VPNs for legitimate purposes, such as working securely from home or accessing region‑locked services.
Cyber‑security experts warn that some free VPN providers collect user data despite promising privacy, so residents turning to unfamiliar apps should choose reputable providers.
Parents and educators in the region have welcomed measures to protect children online, but some worry that young people will quickly learn to bypass age checks.
Anthony Rose, a UK tech entrepreneur who helped create BBC iPlayer, said on social media that installing a VPN takes “less than five minutes” and British users are used to using them to access iPlayer abroad.
‘Stupid legislation’
He argued that whenever governments introduce “stupid legislation like this” people simply turn on a VPN to circumvent it. Local digital‑rights advocates echo his concerns, fearing that the rules may drive children towards riskier apps while burdening adults with intrusive checks.
The Online Safety Act makes the UK a test case for democratic countries seeking to impose strict content controls.
Petition to repeal the law
Several US states and Australia are watching closely, while tech companies worry about the cost of compliance. In the West Midlands, some small content platforms may lack the resources to implement complex age‑verification systems.
A petition to repeal the law has gathered more than 280,000 signatures in a matter of days, demonstrating growing public opposition.
Government response and next steps
Ofcom insists the new rules are necessary. It says children have previously been able to stumble across harmful content without even looking for it, and the age checks should reduce such risks.
The regulator stresses that online platforms must prevent children from circumventing safeguards and block content that promotes VPNs or other workarounds.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the rules will be “robustly implemented by tech companies”.
Still, the government acknowledges that no system is foolproof and encourages parents and schools to educate children about online safety rather than relying solely on technology.
As the law beds in, West Midlands News will continue to monitor how local businesses and families adapt.
The region’s strong digital economy means many residents are familiar with privacy‑protecting tools, but the debate over balancing child protection with adults’ right to privacy is far from over.
