- Electronic Frontier Foundation Urges Wisconsin Lawmakers to Oppose Age Verification Bill
- Proposal would force all adult sites to block VPN connections
- Lawmakers Vote on AB 105/SB 130 Bill Today
Wisconsin lawmakers will vote today on a controversial age verification bill, as digital rights advocates urge politicians to reject the proposal.
In an open letter published on Tuesday, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) described the legislation as “a spectacularly bad idea.” The bill, formally Wisconsin AB 105/SB 130, has generated backlash, particularly due to its provisions on the use of VPN services.
Under the proposed rules, any service provider operating in Wisconsin who “knowingly and intentionally” distributes material considered harmful to minors would block all VPN users.
Wisconsin age verification bill: What digital rights experts say
The EFF notes that the proposed rules on Virtual private networks and similar circumvention software (specifically within section 100.76(2)(c)) are “particularly concerning.”
Experts point out that VPNs are not only used to bypass filters, but are essential daily tools for students, remote workers, businesses and law enforcement seeking basic digital security.
It’s still unclear how lawmakers intend to enforce the blocking requirements. According to the EFF, blocking VPN users located in Wisconsin is “unfeasible” from a technical standpoint because websites cannot reliably determine the true origin of a VPN connection.
“As a result, covered websites would face an impossible choice: block all VPN users everywhere, cutting off access for millions of people across the country, or stop offering services in Wisconsin altogether,” the EFF wrote.
The group also maintains that these requirements are ultimately pointless. Experts believe that users who try to bypass the restrictions will simply switch to non-commercial VPNs, open proxy servers, or inexpensive virtual servers, making the law ineffective against those it aims to restrict.
The Wisconsin Senate is voting on SB 130/AB 105, a problematic age verification bill that effectively bans VPN access to certain websites. If you live in Wisconsin, now is the time to contact your state senator and urge them to reject this bill…February 18, 2026
The risk of VPN use is just one aspect of the law that worries digital rights experts. According to the EFF, the bill “creates serious risks to privacy and data security” by requiring online services to collect highly sensitive user data.
Like similar age verification laws, this would force platforms to require scans of government ID, financial details or biometric data from their users.
EFF notes that while the bill prohibits companies from “knowingly retaining” this information, it does not completely prevent unnecessary data retention. Experts warn that this could lead to widespread abuse and data breaches if hackers attack sensitive databases.
Finally, critics argue that the bill’s definition of “harmful to minors” is dangerously broad. As currently written, all sexually explicit content must have an age restriction if it is deemed to lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
Experts believe this vague criteria “invites excessive censorship, chills legal discourse, and exposes companies to unpredictable enforcement.”
Wisconsin is not alone in its shift toward viewing VPNs as an obstacle to implementing age verification rather than a vital security tool.
Across the Atlantic, the UK government is also exploring restrictions on VPN use by children. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced plans to “close loopholes” that undermine online safety protections, potentially including age-restricting VPN services themselves.
Digital rights advocates warn that these measures represent a significant change in the way democratic nations treat encryption. While these restrictions have historically been associated with authoritarian regimes, the current wave of legislative activity suggests that a successful proposal in one region could provide a model for similar restrictions around the world.
We have reached out to the EFF for additional comment and will update this page as more information becomes available.
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