Missouri Becomes 25th US State to Enact Age Verification Law
Published
- Law Implementation: Missouri age verification law now requires adults to prove age on sites with harmful content.
- Privacy Concerns: Users worry about data risks as verification demands IDs, photos, or financial information.
- VPN Surge: VPN demand in Missouri spiked sharply as residents seek privacy and potential workarounds.
Missouri officially became the 25th US state to enforce an age verification law when its new regulations took effect on Sunday, November 30, 2025. The law requires adults to verify their age before accessing websites or platforms where at least “one-third or more of the content” is considered “harmful to minors.”
The measure aligns Missouri with a growing number of states introducing similar legislation, which has triggered strong debates about privacy, cybersecurity, and digital safety. It has also led to a surge in public interest in VPNs, with Missouri now joining other states, including Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, in seeing notable increases in VPN-related searches.
VPN usage is being explored by people looking to maintain privacy and avoid submitting sensitive information such as selfies, government IDs, or credit card details to third-party age verification companies. While supporters say these laws help protect children from harmful content, critics argue that they create new risks for data exposure.
How Missouri’s Age Verification Law Works
Missouri’s rule, identified as Missouri 15 CSR 60-18, largely resembles age verification laws adopted in several other states.
Websites with at least one-third of their content deemed harmful to minors must implement digital age checks. Verification can be completed using:
- A digital ID
- A government-issued ID
- Transactional or credit card data
The law also includes requirements for certain mobile operating systems to support digital age-verification tools.
Any violation is classified as “unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful,” and civil penalties can reach up to $10,000.
State officials have championed the law. In September, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway called it a “major victory for Missouri families” and a significant milestone in protecting children from online harms.
Privacy Concerns Continue to Grow
Opponents argue that while the law demands “reasonable age verification methods” and “reasonable methods to secure all information,” the risks remain high. Collecting sensitive data, such as photos of IDs and financial information, creates appealing targets for hackers.
Many verification companies claim to delete data immediately, but practices differ across providers. Concerns intensified after a high-profile age verification data breach involving Discord in October, where hackers accessed personal information, including government-issued IDs. Although Discord itself wasn’t directly responsible for the breach, it demonstrated the dangers associated with these systems.
The wave of new age verification laws has sparked a broader push toward online privacy tools, particularly VPNs. By encrypting data and masking IP addresses, VPNs help users protect their digital footprint.
Surge in VPN Interest Across Missouri
Google Trends data shows a clear rise in searches for “VPN” in Missouri beginning November 27, three days before the law went into effect. Search interest remained high into early December, with brief dips followed by renewed spikes.
VPN demand in Missouri grew to over four times its previous 28-day average. Interest peaked at 350% above baseline on November 30 and remains 230% above baseline.
Readers looking to explore VPN options may still find active Cyber Monday discounts.
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