BBS:      TELESC.NET.BR
Assunto:  WI scraps VPN ban from age verification bill
De:       Mike Powell
Data:     Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:42:39 -0500
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Wisconsin scraps VPN ban from age verification bill following backlash

By Chiara Castro published 5 hours ago

But problems with the proposals remain, experts warn

    Wisconsin lawmakers remove VPN ban provision from age verification bill
    The requirement for adult sites to block VPN users was scrapped
    Digital rights experts warn that issues with privacy and free speech remain

Wisconsin lawmakers have scrapped a controversial VPN ban from an
age-verification bill following backlash from residents and digital rights
experts.  First introduced in March 2025, Senate Bill 130 (and its Assembly
counterpart AB 105) originally required any provider distributing "harmful"
material to minors to block all users connecting via a VPN.

Republican Senator Van Wanggaard moved to strike the provision on Wednesday,
February 19. The amendment also added "virtual service provider" to the
bill's final paragraphs to clarify that VPN firms themselves are not liable
under the law. The Senate welcomed the change, and the Assembly concurred the
following day, sending the bill to the Governor's desk for signing.

The move marks a significant victory for privacy in the state and follows an
open letter from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) that labeled the
original proposal a "spectacularly bad idea."

"It's great news. Politicians heard VPN users' worries and fears in Wisconsin,
how a ban just wouldn't work, and removed that section," Rindala "Rin" Alajaji,
Associate Director of State Affairs at EFF, told TechRadar.

Alajaji warns that the broader bill remains problematic, citing potential
privacy violations, security risks, and restrictions on free speech.

Privacy and free speech still at risk

"It looks like public advocacy and pushback really worked. But I want to make
it clear that the bill is still very problematic even without the VPN
provision," Alajaji told TechRadar.

Like similar age-verification laws appearing across the US, the Wisconsin bill
would require both adults and minors to share sensitive personal information
with any platform hosting content deemed "harmful to minors."

This process often involves uploading government IDs, financial records, or
biometric data, creating highly sensitive databases that experts warn are prime
targets for data breaches and privacy abuses.

The EFF also argues that the bill's definition of what is "harmful" is
dangerously broad. As written, any sexually explicit content must be age-gated
if it lacks "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for
minors." It's a vague standard that critics say invites over-censorship, chills
lawful speech, and leaves businesses vulnerable to unpredictable enforcement.

Beyond Wisconsin

Wisconsin isn't the only state to weigh VPN restrictions alongside
age-verification laws. Michigan introduced a similar bill last September,
though the proposal has yet to gain significant traction.  

Alajaji told TechRadar that Michigan's bill has only been filed and has not
yet been scheduled for a hearing. She views the delay as a "good thing," given
that the bill seeks to go even further by banning the promotion or sale of
circumvention tools.  Critics also point to the bill's troubling definition of
material "harmful to minors," which controversially includes any reference to
transgender individuals.

While American VPN users may be safe for now, the situation across the Atlantic
is more precarious. UK politicians have shown a growing commitment to "closing
the VPN loophole" that bypasses mandatory age checks. Prime Minister Keir
Starmer recently confirmed that the government may "age restrict or limit
children's VPN use" following a three-month consultation period.

Despite the concerns for British users, the prospect of UK restrictions may
inadvertently bolster the global argument against such bans. Alajaji suggests
that a UK-led VPN crackdown could serve as a cautionary tale, illustrating the
collateral damage such restrictions inflict on businesses and individual
privacy.

"I feel the only reason these proposals have gone so far is that we haven't
seen that impact. The reality is that it's just really hard to implement a VPN
ban generally; to do it completely accurately is near impossible," she said.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For
example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and
conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and
strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone
using a VPN service to break the law or conduct illegal activities. Consuming
pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future
Publishing.


https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/wisconsin-scraps-vpn-ban-fro
m-age-verification-bill-following-backlash

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