A law requiring UK internet users to verify their age to access adult content has led to a huge surge in VPN downloads—and has experts worried about the future of free expression online.

Sites that require age verification may be more susceptible to malware, ads, and trackers. NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro feature can help protect your device from threats. Its a certified anti-phishing tool and was rated as the best VPN malware protection.

But this creates a knock-on problem: underage users relying on unvetted free virtual private networks (VPNs) to get back on their favorite platforms. UK residents are using VPNs to change their apparent locations to other countries and circumvent the Online Safety Act.