Utah VPN age verification provision blocked by federal judge

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a provision of Utah’s Senate Bill 73, which sought to mandate age verification for adult content providers even when users utilize VPNs or other geolocation-masking technologies.

U.S. District Judge David Barlow ruled that the law, known as the Online Age Verification Amendments, likely violates the Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause. The judge noted that the provision could impose excessive burdens on interstate commerce by effectively forcing websites to verify users located beyond Utah’s borders.

The legal challenge was brought by Aylo, the parent company of platforms including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube. Aylo argued that the requirement to identify users physically located in Utah—regardless of their digital footprint—was unreasonable and technically difficult to enforce. While the state suggested using data such as time zones, language settings, and currency preferences to estimate location, the court found the potential for constitutional violations outweighed the state's interest in enforcing the specific provision.