Under the new Online Safety Act regulations, websites hosting content which could be harmful to those under 18 must now carry out robust age verification checks.
This has led to a spike in people downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass checks. Reports of scam websites offering services to dodge the new checks are also on the rise. We explain the age verification checks, what it means for your data and what risks you should be aware of.
Everything you need to know
Source: Which? (31 Jul 2025)