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Missouri became the 25th US state to pass age verification laws when its bill came into effect on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
Adults need to verify their age in order to access platforms and websites where "one-third or more of the content" is deemed "harmful to minors."
How does the law work in Missouri?
Missouri's age verification law – Missouri 15 CSR 60-18 – follows a similar pattern to other laws we've seen enacted across the US.
Age verification must take place when one-third or more of a site or platform's content is deemed "harmful to minors" and qualifying sites must then deploy age-verification tools.
Verification can be completed by submitting digital ID, government-issued ID, or transactional data. The bill includes "specific requirements" for "certain mobile operating systems" to provide digital age-verification identification to sites.
Violations of the laws are described as "unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful." Civil penalties for violations can reach up to $10,000.
In September, the law was labelled "a major victory for Missouri families," and Missouri Attorney General, Catherine Hanaway, said the law was a "milestone" in the state's effort to protect children from harmful content online.
What's so concerning about age verification laws?
The law calls on websites to use "reasonable age verification methods" and "reasonable methods to secure all information collected and transmitted."
Opponents to age verification laws believe the collecting of personal data is a "disaster waiting to happen." IDs, photos, and financial information would be seen as a gold mine by potential hackers and many people feel uncomfortable about handing over this information.
Some age-check companies say they delete the data immediately and nothing is stored – but this isn't the case for every provider.
In October, Discord users suffered the first high-profile age verification hack, which saw personal information – including government-issued IDs – accessed by hackers. The breach wasn't directly the fault of Discord but it highlights the potentially devastating consequences of age-verification related hacks.
The rise in age verification laws has seen a heightened awareness of online privacy and a desire to control it. Whether it's a direct response to age verification laws or not, VPNs are increasing in popularity and are a great way of protecting your privacy online. The tools encrypt your data and allow you to mask your IP address.
VPN interest spikes
Google Trends data shows a distinct spike in the popularity of the search term "VPN" in Missouri. A sharp rise began on November 27 – three days before the law's effective date – and continued over the following days.
Searches remained steadily high throughout the first days of December. A slight drop occurred on December 3, before rising again on December 4 and 5.
Data from Top10VPN.com reported that demand for VPNs in Missouri was more than four times the previous 28-day average. Demand peaked at 350% above the baseline on November 30 and currently remains at 230% above the baseline.
No matter your reason for purchasing a VPN, you can often grab one for a discounted price. Some of this year's Cyber Monday VPN deals are still live, including one from Proton VPN – one of the most private VPNs.
A two-year plan costs $2.49 per month ($59.76 all-in) – the cheapest we've ever seen it go.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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