Court Agrees with EFF: Utah's VPN Law Demands a Technical Impossibility
4 hours ago
- A federal court blocked Utah's SB 73, an anti-VPN age verification law, ruling it likely violates the Constitution by burdening businesses and users outside Utah.
- The law required adult websites to block VPN users or identify their physical location, which is technically impossible due to VPNs masking IP addresses.
- EFF submitted comments opposing the law's administrative rules, arguing they force invasive surveillance and are technically unfeasible.
- The court recognized that geolocation perfection is not possible, so platforms face an impossible choice: block all VPN traffic or verify all users globally.
- The preliminary injunction sets an important precedent against using age verification to mandate invasive tracking or undermine privacy tools like VPNs.
- EFF continues to oppose similar anti-VPN proposals, urging legislators to prioritize user privacy and constitutional protections.