Businesses Choose Proxies As VPNs Face Rising Scrutiny

A growing number of UK companies are moving away from VPNs and adopting proxy services instead, while regulatory pressures and changing business needs reshape the digital tools used for online operations.

Regulatory Drivers Behind the Shift

The trigger for this apparent trend has been the UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force on 25 July 2025. The law requires platforms hosting user-generated content to carry out risk assessments, enforce strict age verification, and prevent users from bypassing restrictions. Ofcom, the regulator tasked with enforcement, has flagged VPNs as a potential loophole in these measures. This has left businesses increasingly wary about relying on them, even though the government has said there are no immediate plans to ban VPN services outright.