The law would have required websites to block VPN users from accessing “harmful material.”
Alex Valdes of Bellevue, Washington, has been pumping content into the Internet for some time, including MSNBC.com, MSN, Bing, MoneyTalksNews, Tipico and more. He admits to being somewhat fascinated by the Cambridge cafe webcam in the roaring 90s.
Following a wave of criticism, Wisconsin lawmakers have decided not to include a ban on VPN services in their age verification law, which is being passed by the state legislature.
Wisconsin Senate Bill 130 (and its Assembly counterpart, Bill 105), introduced in March 2025, seeks to prohibit companies from “publishing or distributing material harmful to minors” unless there is a “reasonable method to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the website.”
One provision would have required companies to prohibit people from accessing their sites through “a virtual private network system or virtual private network provider.”
A VPN allows you to access the Internet over an encrypted connection, allowing you to bypass firewalls and unblock geographically restricted websites and streaming content. When you use a VPN, your IP address and physical location are hidden and your Internet Service Provider does not know which websites you visit.
Wisconsin State Senator Van Wanggaard decided to remove this provision from the legislation, freeing VPNs from liability. The state assembly agreed to lift the ban on VPNs, and the bill now awaits Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ signature.
Rindala Alajaji, associate director of state affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital freedom nonprofit, says Wisconsin’s turnaround is “great news.”
“It shows the power of public advocacy and resistance,” Alajaji says. “Politicians heard from VPN users who shared their concerns and fears, as well as experts who explained why the ban wouldn’t work.”
Earlier this week, the EFF wrote an open letter saying the bills did not “significantly advance the goal of keeping young people safe online”. The EFF said blocking VPNs would harm many groups that rely on the software for private, secure Internet connections, including “businesses, universities, journalists, and ordinary citizens,” and that “many law enforcement professionals, veterans, and small business owners rely on VPNs to use the Internet safely.”
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VPNs can also help you bypass age verification laws. For example, if you live in a state or country that requires age verification to access certain content, you can use a VPN to appear as if you live elsewhere, thereby accessing that material. As age restriction laws have increased in the United States, the use of VPNs has also increased. However, many people use free VPNs, which are Fertile ground for cybercriminals.
In its letter to Wisconsin lawmakers before the reversal, the EFF argued that it was “unworkable” to require websites to block VPN users from accessing adult content. The EFF said these sites cannot “reliably determine” where a VPN customer lives: it could be any US state or even other countries.
“As a result, covered websites would face an impossible choice: either block all VPN users everywhere, disrupting access for millions of people across the country, or stop offering service in Wisconsin altogether,” the EFF wrote.
Wisconsin isn’t the only state considering banning VPNs to prevent access to adult material. Last year, Michigan Introduced Public Morals Anti-Corruption Lawwhich would prohibit all use of VPNs. If passed, it would require ISPs to detect and block the use of VPNs and also ban the sale of VPNs in the state. Fines could reach $500,000.
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