Utah and Federal Efforts on Age Verification
Multiple legislative actions, including Utah's law and federal proposals, are targeting the use of VPNs and location masking to enforce age verification checks on websites.
October 2025
California passes AB 1043 for OS age data collection
California passed AB 1043, requiring operating system providers to collect age data at account setup. This law mandates that the age data be passed through a real-time API to compatible applications.
Source ↗March 2026
Colorado Senate passes SB26-051 on age verification
The Colorado Senate passed SB26-051, a bill concerning age verification. The bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-7 and is currently pending a vote in the state House.
Source ↗April 2026
Rep. Gottheimer introduces H.R.8250 federal bill
Representative Josh Gottheimer introduced the federal bill H.R.8250. Representative Elise M. Stefanik later cosponsored this bill.
Source ↗May 2026
Congress moves on GUARD Act, age-gating bill
Lawmakers in Congress are advancing the GUARD Act, a proposed age-gating bill. This legislation aims to restrict minors’ access to various online tools, potentially requiring age verification for all users.
Source ↗Utah passes law making websites liable for masking location with VPNs
Utah enacted a law making websites responsible for users who mask their location using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This measure is designed to prevent bypassing established age verification checks.
Source ↗Utah mandates website liability for users masking location via VPNs
Utah passed a law making websites liable for users who mask their location using VPNs. The legislation was designed to prevent users from bypassing age verification checks.
Source ↗Utah laws hold websites liable for location-masking users
Utah is set to implement a law making websites accountable for users who attempt to mask their location using VPNs. The law is designed specifically to prevent the bypassing of age verification checks.
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