Utah starts enforcing adult site age checks—but its VPN crackdown stays on ice
Utah has begun enforcing age verification for adult websites under SB 73, but a court is still blocking its VPN location rule. Here's what it means for residents.
Utah took effect on November 2 age verification requirements for adult websites under Senate Bill 73. However, a federal injunction prevents the law from holding websites accountable for users who circumvent age restrictions using VPNs. While adult content sites in Utah must now verify the age of visitors, the law's provision targeting VPN users remains blocked by a federal court.
The Utah Department of Commerce has started enforcing the age checks on these websites but has not implemented the controversial VPN-related clause. Websites that comply with the age verification provisions may face fines of up to $2,500 per violation, along with a 2% excise tax on covered sites. The Utah law enforcement effort relies on specialized computing and auditing tools provided by enterprise technology partners.
State Senator Calvin Musselman supported the bill, stating it serves to protect Utah's youth from explicit material. However, the VPN industry had anticipated this outcome, and NordVPN had previously informed TechRadar that blocking every VPN and proxy IP in Utah would be technically impossible. Digital rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation have cautioned that the new law may lead to users sharing sensitive data with third-party verification firms. Some adult sites have already blocked access from Utah, while others remain unaffected.
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