Utah Becomes First US State to Outlaw VPN Workarounds in Age Verification Crackdown

Utah's SB 73 makes it the first US state to hold adult website operators liable for age verification even when visitors use VPNs or proxies to spoof their location. The legislation imposes administrative fines of up to $2,500 per violation alongside equivalent civil court penalties. The statute explicitly outlaws publishing instructions or guides on how to use VPNs to bypass geographic and age restrictions. Verification providers are legally prohibited from retaining a user's identifying information after access is granted. "The law restricts speech about a privacy tool. That is a First Amendment question the courts have not answered yet." — Nym