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Wisconsin Senate Set to Vote on Age-Verification Bill That Would Force Sites to Block VPNs

Privacy groups warn the plan is unworkable, risking broad VPN blocking beyond Wisconsin.

Overview

  • State records show A.B.105/S.B.130 is on today’s Senate calendar, signaling an imminent vote.
  • The measure directs sites hosting material deemed harmful to minors to verify users’ ages and block IP addresses linked to VPN providers.
  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation urged lawmakers to reject the bill, citing the inability to reliably locate VPN users and the likelihood of sweeping over-blocks.
  • Critics say mandated age checks would push sites to collect sensitive IDs or biometric data, increasing privacy and data-breach risks.
  • The Assembly approved the bill 69–22 in March 2025, and similar laws have coincided with VPN surges such as Proton VPN’s reported 450% signup jump after Arizona’s law.