I think the VPN industry is about to enter a very uncomfortable phase in Europe and the UK.
The discussion around age checks is usually framed as “protect minors online”, and to be clear, that goal itself is reasonable. The SmartAdvisor team supports age restrictions where they are meant to protect children. But we still do not fully know how strongly this will affect the VPN industry, and more importantly, how it will affect no-logs policies.That is the part I think people are not talking about enough.
Right now, the pressure is mostly aimed at platforms, adult sites, social media companies, app stores, and online services that host or distribute age-restricted content. But once governments start asking platforms to prove that users are old enough, the next question becomes obvious: what happens when users connect through VPNs, privacy browsers, encrypted DNS, relays, or other privacy tools?
This does not automatically mean “VPN bans”. I think that phrase is too dramatic for now. But it can still create pressure in a few ways.
VPN providers may face more questions about abuse handling, payment flows, app distribution, account verification, transparency reports, and cooperation with platforms or regulators. App stores may also become a pressure point. Payment processors can become another one. Even if the law is not written directly against VPNs, the surrounding infrastructure can still make life harder for VPN companies.
The biggest concern is the no-logs model. A strong VPN is supposed to know as little as possible about the user. That is the point. If regulators, platforms, or enforcement systems start expecting more proof, more traceability, or more identity-linked checks, there is a clear tension with privacy-first design.
Maybe the final result will be mild. Maybe VPNs will mostly stay outside the direct legal scope. Maybe age checks will happen only at the platform level, without touching VPN providers much.
But I do not think the industry should assume that nothing changes.
For guide sites, review sites, and diagnostic tools like ours, this also matters. We probably need to be much more careful with wording. VPNs should be described as privacy, security, and troubleshooting tools, not as tools for breaking platform rules or getting around age systems. That is not just a legal safety issue. It is also better and more honest content.
My current view is simple:
VPNs are not the main target of these rules today, but they are very likely to be pulled into the conversation around age checks, online safety, app stores, payments, and platform enforcement.
The real question is not “will VPNs be banned?”
The better question is:
Can the VPN industry keep strong privacy promises while governments and platforms push for stronger age verification?
That is where things could get messy……