A political fight in the United States has made many wonder about the future of virtual private networks, or VPNs. In Michigan, a group of six Republican representatives proposed legislation on 11 September that would ban adult content and the use of VPNs.
The proposal, called the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act, goes further than restrictions already passed in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. It also sets out fines of up to $500,000 for internet service providers that fail to monitor and block connections from VPNs. The bill is sponsored by Representative Josh Schriver and has not yet cleared committee stages in Michigan’s House or Senate.
If passed, the law would require internet companies to block VPN traffic altogether. The sale and promotion of VPNs would also be banned in the state. This is one of the first attempts inside the US to outlaw VPN use for all residents, regardless of age.
Why Are Lawmakers Targeting VPNs?
The main reason is that VPNs allow people to bypass age verification systems and regional internet blocks. In the UK, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has already described VPNs as “a loophole that needs closing”. She wants the government to stop children from using them to get around online age checks.
VPNs work by encrypting a user’s internet traffic and disguising their location. This means that someone in Michigan, for example, could appear to be browsing from another country. For years, this technology has been used to access geo-restricted streaming services, but it is also an easy way to dodge filters on adult websites.
Lawmakers in Michigan argue that banning the tools is the only way to close off access to banned material. Their bill does not limit its scope to minors. It applies to all internet users and covers adult videos, magazines, manga, AI-generated images and even written descriptions.
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What Could This Mean For Privacy?
NordVPN’s Laura Tyrylyte told TechRadar that forcing providers to block VPNs and banning their use threatens people’s right to privacy and secure access to information. She mentioned that the proposals would increase government control over the internet and erode online freedoms.
VPNs are usually used as security tools as well as content gateways. Businesses often use them to protect sensitive data, while individuals use them to keep information safe when connecting to public Wi-Fi. They also reduce the amount of data that internet providers can collect about browsing activity.
Supporters of VPNs brought up how a ban would strip people of one of the most reliable tools for protecting identity and avoiding cyberattacks. Tyrylyte added that such restrictions would run counter to a 2024 call from the US-backed Open Technology Fund. That group had urged technology companies to strengthen support for circumvention tools rather than weaken them.
Do Other Countries Ban VPNs?
Other countries have banned VPNs and the Michigan bill looks very similar to measures seen abroad. In March last year, Russia criminalised the sharing of information about tools that bypass online restrictions, including VPNs. China, Iran, Myanmar and Venezuela also limit or block VPN use.
If the Michigan bill were to pass, it could give those governments justification to step up their own crackdowns. The language used in the proposal makes clear that VPNs, proxies and encrypted tunnelling software would all fall under the ban.
