https://thecodersblog.com/categories/technology-policy/Recent content in Technology Policy on The Coders BlogHugoen-usSat, 09 May 2026 07:10:53 +0000https://thecodersblog.com/eu-s-stance-on-vpns-and-age-verification-2026/Sat, 09 May 2026 07:10:53 +0000https://thecodersblog.com/eu-s-stance-on-vpns-and-age-verification-2026/<p>The digital frontier is shrinking, not in terms of access, but in terms of privacy. A storm is brewing in Europe, where lawmakers are increasingly viewing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) not as tools for enhanced privacy and security, but as clandestine pathways to circumvent crucial online safeguards, particularly age verification. This shift in perspective from the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) and the European Commission signals a potentially seismic tremor for online freedom and privacy, suggesting a future where the very tools designed to protect us might become targets of regulatory scrutiny. The European Commission&rsquo;s recent foray into age verification with its dedicated app, integrated into the broader European Digital Identity Wallet framework, is the canary in the coal mine. While laudable in its privacy-preserving intent through Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP), its existence and the concurrent framing of VPNs as &ldquo;loopholes&rdquo; paint a stark picture: the era of unfettered digital anonymity is under siege.</p>