Just minutes after the UK's controversial Online Safety Act came into effect on July 25, Proton VPN reported a 1,400% surge in new signups from within the country, a spike that the company says has not only surpassed past events but is now showing signs of being sustained.
The dramatic increase in demand was announced via Proton VPN's official X account on Thursday evening, highlighting a significant shift in user behavior immediately following the law's activation. Unlike prior surges, such as the temporary spike in France following the introduction of restrictions on adult content access, this uptick has remained unusually high over several hours, suggesting a broader and more profound public concern.
The Online Safety Act, which became active on July 25, 2025, introduces sweeping new requirements for online platforms operating in the UK. It mandates that services prevent minors from accessing harmful content, including pornography and material promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and dangerous stunts, and enforce rigorous age verification protocols. These measures must be implemented under the supervision of Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, which now has the authority to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.
While the UK government presents the legislation as a necessary step to safeguard children online, the law has sparked intense backlash from privacy advocates, cryptographers, and secure communications providers. Critics argue that the bill opens the door to mass surveillance and undermines end-to-end encryption by forcing companies to build backdoors for content scanning, effectively compromising the very foundations of digital privacy and secure communication.
Proton VPN, developed by Swiss privacy-focused company Proton AG, offers encrypted VPN services to circumvent government censorship, maintain anonymity, and protect users from surveillance. The company's tools are widely used in countries with strict internet controls, such as Russia and Iran. Proton's report of a sustained increase in signups in the UK mirrors similar behavioral patterns seen in authoritarian contexts, signaling a significant erosion of trust among British users in their government's handling of digital rights.
This is not the first time the Online Safety Act has triggered high-profile reactions from the privacy tech community. In early 2023, Signal‘s president, Meredith Whittaker, stated that the organization would “100% walk away” from the UK if forced to compromise its encryption model. Conversely, encrypted email provider Tutanota pledged to remain in the country, but with full non-compliance to backdoor demands, comparing the UK's trajectory to that of authoritarian regimes.
Age verification mandates under the new law are particularly controversial. Recommended methods include facial age estimation, photo ID checks, and credit card verification, techniques that are inherently invasive and raise major concerns around biometric data handling, data retention, and potential for misuse. Our view on the matter is that forcing such measures across a wide range of services sets a dangerous precedent and creates a chilling effect on open internet use.
For now, Proton VPN's surge serves as a barometer of public sentiment: British users are turning to privacy tools not just to bypass adult content restrictions, but to shield themselves from what they increasingly perceive as state overreach. As enforcement ramps up and Ofcom begins issuing compliance notices, shifts in user behavior will determine the shape of the UK's online landscape in this new regulatory environment.
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