Western European governments and EU institutions are increasingly moving toward tighter regulation of VPNs as part of a broader push for online age verification and the highly controversial ‘Chat Control’ agenda, triggering fierce backlash from privacy advocates and digital rights groups who warn that the West is drifting toward Chinese- or Russian-style internet controls.
The controversy intensified this week after European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen suggested that Brussels may need to address the use of VPNs to bypass the EU’s upcoming age-verification systems.
Speaking during a press conference on the EU’s new digital age-verification app, Virkkunen acknowledged that users could circumvent the system with VPNs and stated that preventing such circumvention would be among the ‘next steps’ policymakers may need to examine.
Although the European Commission has not formally proposed banning VPNs, the remarks fuelled growing concerns that the EU’s digital regulation agenda is gradually evolving toward restrictions on anonymous internet access and encrypted privacy tools.
Virkkunen’s comments sparked immediate backlash online, with users describing the European Union as a ‘European dictatorship’ and accusing European leaders of increasingly seeking ‘full control’ over citizens.
‼️🇪🇺 The EU Plans to Crack Down on VPNs:
— Walter Komarek (@komarglobal) May 2, 2026
"The new EU age ID verification system will not be 'bypassed' via VPN access."
They couldn’t stop illegal migration, but suddenly becomes North Korea when it comes to controlling what Europeans read online…
Looks like the European… pic.twitter.com/65IxiiJzZN
The debate is closely tied to the EU’s broader push for stricter online regulation under the Digital Services Act and the still-contentious ‘Chat Control’ legislation, officially known as the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR). Critics argue that the legislation—designed to combat child sexual abuse material online—could create the technical infrastructure for large-scale surveillance and undermine encrypted communications.
VPNs have become central to the discussion because they allow users to bypass geographical restrictions, age-verification systems, and other forms of online filtering. At the same time, several Western governments are openly discussing measures targeting VPN circumvention.
Is the West Moving Towards China-Style Internet Control?
In the United States, Utah will become the first state to directly target VPN usage under online age-verification legislation when Senate Bill 73 enters into force on 6 May 2026. The law holds websites legally liable even if users bypass restrictions through VPNs and prohibits platforms from sharing information about how to circumvent the system.
The measure has triggered strong criticism from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), cybersecurity experts, and VPN providers, who argue that the law is technically unenforceable and risks criminalizing ordinary privacy-conscious users.
Meanwhile, in France, officials have also signalled that VPN restrictions could eventually follow the country’s planned social media ban for children under 15. French Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Hénanff stated earlier this year that VPNs are ‘next on my list’ in efforts to prevent minors from bypassing online restrictions.
WORLDWIDE CRACKDOWN ON VPNs BEGINS
— Bitcoin News (@BitcoinNewsCom) May 2, 2026
🇪🇺 EU Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen is pushing limits on VPN use, warning new age and ID systems must not be bypassed.
Utah becomes the first 🇺🇸 US state to target VPNs under age verification laws starting May 6, 2026.
Websites can…
Reacting to the growing regulatory push, privacy advocates, open internet activists, and technology experts accused Western governments of importing authoritarian-style internet governance models traditionally associated with China and Russia.
Digital rights advocates described Utah’s law as a ‘technical whack-a-mole’, while critics on social media warned that Europe was moving toward a ‘Great Firewall of Europe’ and creating ‘China-style internet controls’. Others argued that politicians were attempting to ‘criminalize privacy itself’ under the banner of child protection.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and other privacy organizations have repeatedly warned that anti-circumvention measures risk establishing ‘an oppressive surveillance system’ incompatible with democratic norms. One widely shared online comment described the proposals as ‘authoritarianism wrapped in child safety rhetoric’, while another warned that ‘first they require digital ID, then they target VPNs, then anonymous internet access disappears entirely’.
Both China and Russia have long restricted VPN access as part of broader internet censorship systems. China operates one of the world’s most sophisticated online censorship architectures through the so-called ‘Great Firewall’, while Russia has repeatedly blocked or pressured VPN providers that refuse to comply with state surveillance demands. Russian authorities are even considering fines and broader penalties for VPN usage itself.
Critics argue that Western democracies are now moving in a similar direction—albeit under the banner of child protection and online safety rather than explicit political censorship.
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