The state of Missouri now requires internet users to verify their age before accessing adult websites, leading to an increase in demand for VPNs.
Towards the end of November, the state of Missouri passed a law that mandated all adult websites to enforce an identity check system. The objective is to ensure that users below the legal age threshold can’t access sexually explicit and harmful material. Websites that don’t comply with the state regulation will face punitive action. Soon after the law was enforced, there was a rapid spike in the search for VPN solutions, so that users can skirt around the geofencing if a website asks them to verify their identity.
Based on Google Trends data localized to the state, TechRadar reported that there was a roughly four times increase in the number of VPN-related search terms, citing a 30-day log of search data. A day after the law was enforced, there was a sharp two-fold increase in the volume of search queries involving VPNs. The trend is not unheard of, and it’s not just limited to explicit content. Multiple countries in the not too distant past, have banned popular platforms and communication sites. As a result, users often turn to VPNs to access them, which is the case with the netizens of Missouri.
