Federal judge blocks Utah law requiring adult sites to detect or block VPN users for age verification

A federal court issued a preliminary injunction against parts of Utah’s SB 73, which required adult websites to block VPN users or determine their physical location. The court said the law likely overreaches by forcing sites to age-verify users everywhere, not just in Utah, if even one visitor might be masking their location.

The ruling highlights a growing clash between age verification mandates and privacy-preserving tools that are fundamental to internet security. It also signals that courts may be skeptical of state laws that impose technically unrealistic compliance burdens on online services beyond state borders.