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.
More context
Timeline
- 1. 2023: Utah enacts S.B. 287, initial age-verification mandates.
- 2. March 19, 2026: Governor Spencer Cox signs S.B. 73 into law.
- 3. Post-signing: NordVPN and the Electronic Frontier Foundation publicly criticize the bill.
- 4. May 6, 2026: S.B. 73 is scheduled to take effect across Utah.
- 5. After May 6, 2026: Websites meeting the content threshold face new verification and liability requirements.
Why it matters
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.
Sources
JQJO Editorial Desk · Human reviewed · AI assisted. Report a correction.
