VPN ban one step closer in Wisconsin as age verification bill goes to Senate vote

Image of Wisconsin's state flag flying in front of the US flag — (Image credit: rarrarorro / Getty Images)

VPNs are on the cusp of being restricted in Wisconsin as the state's age verification bill is being voted on in the Senate.

Part of Wisconsin's age verification bill seeks to prevent VPN access to certain sites – sites that are deemed to be hosting content seen as "harmful to minors."

VPN access banned for certain websites

State documents show Assembly Bill 105 has been "placed on calendar 2-18-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule." This means a vote is imminent and it is suggested that the bill has a good chance of being passed by lawmakers. It passed through the Assembly 69 votes to 22 back in March 2025.

Alongside instructing sites to implement age verification checks, the bill seeks to ban VPN access to websites.

It says sites must "prevent persons from accessing the website from an internet protocol address or internet protocol address range that is linked to or known to be a virtual private network system or provider."

In short, you won't be able to visit these sites while connected to a VPN.

As seen in the UK, connecting to a VPN has been touted as a way to bypass age verification checks. Users have reported success by connecting to a VPN server in a country where age verification laws are not in place.

A diagram showing how a VPN works, with a laptop icon sending traffic into an encrypted tunnel that's represented by a lock, and through a VPN server icon, to the internet, which is shown by a globe and cloud icon. Around the tunnel, there are arrows bouncing off the tunnel from icons representing hackers, ISPs, advertisers and the government - showing that the VPN is protecting the traffic from the laptop

When using a VPN, you're given one of the VPN's numerous IP addresses for whatever country you're in. The bill is saying sites should identify and block VPN IP addresses trying to access content.

How this will be achieved isn't clear and users on Reddit have questioned the practicality of the bill's enforcement – should it be passed.

The most private VPNs have obfuscating protocols, designed to evade internet censorship. They blend in with regular internet traffic and combat deep-packet inspection. In theory, utilising these protocols could be seen as a potential way of evading Wisconsin's law enforcement tactics.

Privacy advocates react

If the bill passes, Wisconsin will become the first US state to "ban" accessing content via VPN.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned this move could spark further, more widespread restrictions, and all VPN users would be blocked, not just those coming from Wisconsin.

The EFF said a site can't tell where a VPN connection is coming from and to comply with the law, sites would have to block all VPN traffic or cease operations in Wisconsin.

The bill was described by the EFF as "terrible" and accused Wisconsin lawmakers of "attempting to break VPN access for the entire internet." The group added that, "the unintended consequences of this provision could far outweigh any theoretical benefit."

In a tweet published on February 18, 2026, the EFF called on residents of Wisconsin to contact their State Senator and "urge them to vote down this bill."

The Wisconsin Senate is voting on S.B. 130/A.B. 105, a problematic age verification bill that effectively bans VPN access to certain websites. If you live in Wisconsin, now is the time for you to contact your State Senator and urge them to vote down this bill.…February 18, 2026

Age verification laws in the US

The US timeline of age verification laws goes back a long way. According to the Free Speech Coalition, 25 states have passed age verification laws. A further 15 – including Wisconsin – have bills pending.

VPNs have been directly named in a handful of these bills but we have seen VPN usage and interest spike across the US, especially in states that have recently passed laws.

Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, and Arizona are some of the latest states to implement age verification, and all saw an uptick in VPN interest. When Arizona's bill was passed in September 2025, Proton VPN reported a sign-up increase of 450% over the baseline.

Age verification laws require users to hand over sensitive personal information, increasing their risk of suffering the consequences of a data breach. It is no surprise they are turning to VPNs and VPNs are being targeted as a result. These bills pose a threat to our privacy, and wider internet freedoms.

Disclaimer

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.

George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. Outside of work, George is passionate about music, Star Wars, and Karate.

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