Utah enacts law treating VPN users as in-state visitors
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Salt Lake City — Utah enacted Senate Bill 73, the Online Age Verification Amendments, signed by Governor Spencer Cox on March 19, and the law takes effect on May 6. The statute requires websites that host a substantial portion of content harmful to minors to verify user ages and treats anyone physically located in Utah as an in-state user even if they employ a VPN or proxy. This week the measure drew immediate pushback from privacy advocates and industry: NordVPN described the requirement as an unresolvable compliance paradox and the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned the law could intrude on VPN privacy. Covered sites now face potential liability and new verification duties under a threshold cited as 33 percent for adult content, and stakeholders are assessing technical and legal implications ahead of May 6 enforcement.
Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- 2023: Utah enacts S.B. 287, initial age-verification mandates.
- March 19, 2026: Governor Spencer Cox signs S.B. 73 into law.
- Post-signing: NordVPN and the Electronic Frontier Foundation publicly criticize the bill.
- May 6, 2026: S.B. 73 is scheduled to take effect across Utah.
- After May 6, 2026: Websites meeting the content threshold face new verification and liability requirements.
Why This Matters to You
If you're in Utah and use a VPN, this law affects you. It means websites with adult content must verify your age. Even if you're using a VPN, you're treated as an in-state user. Check your VPN's privacy policy today.
The Bottom Line
Utah's new law is stirring up privacy concerns. It puts new duties on certain websites and could affect VPN users. Worth forwarding if you know someone who values their online privacy.
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Utah legislators and advocates for stricter online age verification gain a legal mechanism intended to reduce minors' access to restricted content by expanding enforcement tools and liability provisions.
Privacy advocates, VPN providers, and some website operators face increased compliance burdens, potential legal liability, and concerns about privacy intrusion and technical feasibility under the new provisions.
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From Right
Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mask their location with VPNs
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