When the nonprofit Freedom House recently released its annual report, it noted that the next year would be 2025. Fifteenth year in a row Decline in global internet freedom. After Georgia and Germany, the largest decline was noted in the United States.
Among the culprits identified in the report are age-verification laws, dozens of which took effect last year. “Online anonymity, a key enabler of freedom of expression, is entering a crisis as politicians in free and autocratic countries require the use of identity verification technology for certain websites or platforms, in some cases motivated by the legitimate goal of protecting children,” the report warns.
Age verification laws are part of a year-long effort to keep children safe online, as tech companies have failed to prevent serious harm to the most vulnerable users. Lawmakers who have failed to pass privacy protections, reforming Section 230, or other major legislation that would redefine tech companies’ responsibilities to their users have turned to the blunt instrument of age-based restrictions, and with far greater success.
While restrictions on VPNs remain largely theoretical, the fact that such measures are being considered is alarming. Until now, VPN bans have been more associated with authoritarian countries without an open internet, such as Russia and China. If we continue to age-restrict potentially offensive content, the Internet could become even worse for everyone.
Correction, December 9, 2025, 11:23 a.m. PT: An earlier version of this story said Spotify requires age verification to access music in the UK. The service requires some users to verify their age in order to access over 18 music videos and news. We apologize for the error.