'A waste of money' Digital rights group slams Utah's new 'impossible by design' VPN restrictions under controversial age verification law

Date:
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:14:18 +0000

Description:
Utahs new age verification law targets VPN users, but digital rights group Fight for the Future is calling the legislation technically impossible and a massive "waste of money." Here is why experts are furious.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Utah's SB 73 law targeting VPN users has officially gone into effect Fight for the Future has slammed the legislation as a "waste of money" The digital rights group also argues it's "impossible by design" to enforce Utah is making history as the first US
state to enact a law specifically targeting virtual private networks, but digital rights advocates are furious.

The legislation, known as SB 73, officially went into effect on May 6. It
aims to crack down on residents utilizing the VPN services to bypass state
age verification mandates. However, digital rights group Fight for the Future is pulling no punches. In a fiery statement shared with TechRadar, the group dubbed the law "a waste of money," while slamming the state for passing legislation that fundamentally misunderstands how the internet works. You may like 'A technical whack-a-mole:' Utah to become the first US state to target VPN users with controversial age verification law and digital rights experts are furious 'A liability trap' NordVPN slams Utah age verification law targeting VPN users 'A spectacularly bad idea' Digital rights advocates call on Wisconsin lawmakers to reject VPN ban bill

"Utah just became the first state in the US to target VPN usage, and they are embarrassing themselves," stated Lia Holland, Campaigns and Communications Director at Fight for the Future.

Last year, Fight for the Future launched a major initiative to defend VPN access , highlighting that everyone from abuse survivors to small businesses relies on these tools to stay secure. NordVPN the best choice for Utah overall NordVPN is the best choice for people in Utah right now. It's got 30 servers in the region, alongside 74 in the US overall. It's quicker than most VPNs, and it works well with almost any US streaming services. It's more expensive than most at $3.09 per month, plus you only get 10 simultaneous connections, but the performance is unparalleled.

You can also try it before committing by using the 30-day money-back
guarantee . View Deal What is the Utah VPN law and why are experts so angry? The bill's most controversial element is Section 14, which explicitly states that individuals are considered to be accessing a website from Utah if they are physically there, "regardless of whether the individual is using a
virtual private network, proxy server, or other means to disguise or misrepresent the individual's geographic location to make it appear that the individual is accessing a website from a location outside this state."

According to Holland, these requirements have "paragraphs that read like AI slop" because they mandate the impossible.

A reputable Virtual Private Network (VPN) protects your privacy by completely encrypting your traffic and hiding your real IP address. Consequently, the website you visit physically cannot determine whether you are browsing from Utah or anywhere else.

"This feat is literally impossible by design for even the best hacker," Holland noted, questioning whether lawmakers actually understand what the security software does.

Because websites cannot pinpoint a VPN user's true location, Fight for the Future warns that businesses are left with limited options. They must either try to block all global VPN traffic, implement mandatory age verification for every visitor worldwide, or censor all content that falls under Utah's "harmful to minors" umbrella. What to read next Utahs VPN crackdown has arrived: here are the VPNs we recommend to protect your personal data and privacy online in the beehive state Wisconsin scraps VPN ban from age verification bill following backlash Australia 'Swiss cheese-like age verification' may lead to a VPN ban, and digital safety is at risk

Or, as Holland suggests, there is a fourth option: "sue Utah."

In fact, Fight for the Future said to "pre-emptively endorse" any legal actions filed to hold Utah politicians accountable. The guilt? "Continuing to ignore, in the year 2026, the basics of how the Internet they're trying to regulate functions," the group notes. A growing battle over digital rights (Image credit: Shutterstock) This is not the first time digital rights advocates and VPN providers have sounded the alarm over these types of age verification mandates.

Previously, cybersecurity experts at the Electronic Frontier Foundation described the Utah bill as an unworkable "technical whack-a-mole," while
major provider NordVPN slammed the legislation as a dangerous "liability trap."

Similar efforts to restrict VPNs in other states have faltered. Recently, Wisconsin lawmakers scrapped a proposed VPN ban from an age verification bill after significant pushback, a move advocates called a rejection of a "spectacularly bad idea."

For Fight for the Future, the message to state lawmakers is clear.

"Instead of doubling down with more embarrassing laws that are bound to fail, Utah should strike an actual blow at Big Tech and put rights that keep people safe, like privacy, at the center of their legislative agenda," Holland said. Today's best NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN deals NordVPN 2 Year 2.59
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best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to
click the Follow button! 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.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/a-waste-of-money-digital-ri ghts-group-slams-utahs-new-impossible-by-design-vpn-restrictions-under-controv ersial-age-verification-law


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