Global Online Safety Acts: How New Laws Are Changing the Internet Experience

Across the world, governments are introducing new online safety acts to protect children and regulate harmful content. From strict age verification rules to minimum age requirements for social media, these laws are reshaping how internet platforms operate and how users access the web. While the goal is to create safer digital spaces, these changes also raise serious questions about privacy, free speech, and digital rights.

One of the most influential examples is the UK Online Safety Act, which is already transforming how platforms enforce safety measures. However, the UK is not alone; similar initiatives are emerging in the United States, the European Union, Australia, France, and beyond.

What Are Online Safety Acts?

Online safety acts are laws designed to:

• Protect minors from harmful or age-inappropriate content
• Regulate how platforms handle user-generated content
• Introduce mandatory age verification for accessing adult websites
• Set minimum ages for social media accounts
• Impose heavy fines and penalties on non-compliant platforms

These laws often come with duties of care for online services, requiring them to proactively prevent harmful content and provide safer environments for users.

The UK Online Safety Act: Key Points

The UK Online Safety Act 2023 is one of the most far-reaching regulations of its kind. Some of its key provisions include:

• Mandatory age verification for pornography and harmful content (effective July 2025)
• Platforms must remove both illegal and legal but harmful content accessible to children
• Oversight by Ofcom, which can impose heavy fines and restrict services
• Use of “highly effective” verification methods such as photo ID, bank cards, or biometric checks
• Significant penalties for non-compliance, including potential blocking of services

While the law aims to protect minors, it has sparked debates about privacy risks, the impact on smaller platforms, and whether users will turn to VPNs or alternative services to bypass restrictions.

📖Learn more about the UK Online Safety Act

Other Countries Following Suit

The UK is not alone; similar initiatives are spreading worldwide. Here’s how major jurisdictions compare:

Australia

• Social Media Minimum Age Act 2024 introduces age restrictions for under-16 users.
• Plans for stricter verification on adult sites.
• Implementation set for December 2025.
• Critics warn of vague definitions and potential privacy violations.

European Union & France

• The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires platforms to assess risks, enforce age protections, and provide safer environments for minors.
• France has gone further, demanding credit card or ID verification for adult sites. Some platforms, like Pornhub, temporarily suspended access in protest.
• France also includes privacy safeguards like “double-blind” verification to reduce data risks.

United States (State-Level Laws)

• Several U.S. states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah) have introduced strict age verification for adult content.
• In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas’s HB 1181 in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.
• In Mississippi, the Walker-Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act requires age registration, limits data collection, and mandates harm mitigation strategies for minors.
• However, many state laws face constitutional challenges over free speech and privacy rights, creating a patchwork of rules.

What This Means for Internet Users

For everyday internet users, these new safety acts come with significant consequences:

1. More Age Verification Checks
   Expect to see frequent ID or credit card requests when accessing restricted content.
2. Loss of Anonymity
   Stricter verification could reduce online anonymity and deter people from accessing sensitive but legitimate content (e.g., sexual health resources).
3. Privacy Concerns
   Collecting IDs and biometric data increases the risk of data breaches and misuse.
4. Circumvention via VPNs
   Many users are already turning to VPNs to bypass restrictions, especially in the UK and France.
5. Impact on Smaller Platforms
   Compliance costs may force smaller websites to block access in certain regions instead of building complex verification systems.
6. Uneven Global Access
   Users in countries without ID documents, bank cards, or parental consent systems may find themselves excluded.

How Users Get Around Online Safety Checks

While governments and regulators are introducing stricter age verification and safety rules, many internet users are finding ways to bypass these checks. This highlights the ongoing tug-of-war between regulation, privacy, and accessibility.

1. Using VPNs to Mask Location

One of the most common methods is using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN allows users to appear as though they are browsing from another country, effectively bypassing local restrictions and age-gated websites. For example, some UK users have turned to VPNs after the UK Online Safety Act introduced millions of new age verification checks.

2. Privacy-Preserving Age Verification

In some countries, alternative systems are being developed that allow users to prove they are over 18 without sharing full ID details. These systems, sometimes called “blind verification,” use third-party providers to confirm age while protecting personal identity.

3. Switching to Alternative Platforms

When mainstream sites introduce strict age checks, some users migrate to unregulated or offshore platforms that do not comply with the new laws. While this avoids verification, it can expose users to more harmful or less secure environments.

4. Use of Anonymous Payment Systems

Some platforms allow verification via payment cards. Users who want to maintain anonymity sometimes use prepaid cards or disposable virtual cards to meet verification requirements without linking their real identity.

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⚠️ Important Note: While these methods can bypass checks, they come with risks. Users may violate local laws, compromise their data, or expose themselves to unsafe websites. Governments and regulators are also moving quickly to close these loopholes.

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The Big Trade-Off: Safety vs. Privacy

Supporters argue these laws are necessary to protect children online. Critics counter that they undermine:

• Digital privacy: by forcing ID checks
• Free speech: through the overblocking of content
• User rights: especially for vulnerable groups who rely on anonymity

Effectiveness is also uncertain-if millions of users bypass restrictions with VPNs, do these laws really achieve their goals?

The Future of Online Safety Laws

Looking ahead, we can expect:

• More countries to introduce similar acts, inspired by the UK and EU.
• Advances in age verification technology, with privacy-preserving methods like blind verification.
• Ongoing legal challenges in places like the U.S., where free speech protections clash with regulation.
• Platform redesigns, with more gated content and stricter rules for unverified users.

Key Takeaways for Users

• Check your country’s current online safety laws, requirements differ widely.
• Review how platforms handle your data when you provide ID or verification.
• Be aware of potential VPN circumvention options if laws block access to services.
• Watch for unintended consequences, laws may overreach and restrict legitimate content.

Conclusion

The rise of online safety acts marks a turning point in internet regulation. The UK Online Safety Act is setting a precedent, but other regions are moving in similar directions. While the intention is to protect minors, the global trend raises complex questions about privacy, free expression, and digital rights.

For users, the internet is about to look very different: more ID checks, stricter access controls, and possible restrictions on content that was once freely available. The challenge will be finding the right balance between safety and freedom in the digital age.

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FAQ: Online Safety Acts Around the World