Federal judge blocks Utah's anti-VPN age‑verification law (SB 73) with preliminary injunction

What happened

A U.S. federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Utah's SB 73, which required adult websites to block VPN users or determine their physical location for age verification. The court found the statute imposes a technical impossibility and likely violates constitutional protections. The injunction prevents the law's VPN provisions from taking effect pending further court action.

Why it matters for trust and compliance

• Its status is in effect. It is in force now.
• The ruling stops Utah's attempt to force worldwide VPN blocking for age‑verification, preserving user privacy and highlighting technical limits of such legislation.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Review consent, cookie and tracking practices against the requirement.
2. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.
3. Revisit retention schedules and data minimisation for the data involved.
4. Map the security requirements to existing controls and close gaps.
5. Review age assurance and protections for minors' data.