--- title: What are free VPNs hiding from you? Fraud risks, malwares and more. description: Evading age checks using VPNs might seem like the easy thing to do. But it's actually setting you up for greater harm than anything else. Here's the truth image: https://oneid.uk/hubfs/VPN%20Blog%20.png --- [Age Verification](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/tag/age-verification) | [Online Safety](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/tag/online-safety) | [Bank-verified data](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/tag/bank-verified-data) # Beyond the VPN Hype: Why Age Verification Really Matters ##### [OneID® Team](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/author/the-oneid-team) Share: We’ve all seen the news headlines fixated on the surge of VPN downloads—reporting a 1800% in UK VPN traffic following the UK’s Online Safety Act enforcement on 25 July. But while VPN avoidance dominates the narrative, it obscures a far more important trend: millions of UK adults are already using trusted age-verification systems. ## Age verification adoption is real and outpacing VPNs While mainstream coverage highlights evasion, the reality is that a considerable number of UK adults are getting behind the need for age verification on age-restricted websites. The AVPA's Executive Director, Iain Corby, said there have been an [additional five million checks per day on adult websites](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/30/uk-online-safety-law-leads-to-5m-extra-age-checks-a-day-and-surge-in-vpn-use) alone since the OSA deadline for age verification came into effect. These methods include (but are not limited to) **mobile number verification**, **bank-based verification,** **photo-ID uploads, biometric face scans, credit card checks**, **digital identity wallets**, and **email-based estimation**—all compliant with Ofcom’s “highly effective” requirements under the Online Safety Act.  To put the scale of this adoption in context, [OneID®](https://oneid.uk/) alone, which provides two of the most [privacy-preserving age checks](https://oneid.uk/oneid-age-verification), has [seen a 3,000% increase in usage](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/oneid-provides-over-over-4.5-million-age-verifications-since-ofcoms-age-assurance-deadline) - handling 140 requests a second at peak periods. This significant uptake shows a large segment of the population is content to verify their age via trusted vendors. Another age estimation solution - which uses facial scans - was the second most downloaded app.   ## You thought VPNs preserve your privacy. Think again! Many free VPN providers harvest and sell sensitive data (search logs, device identifiers and other personal information). [Some leaks and investigations show millions of user records exposed](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2021/03/21-million-free-vpn-users-data-exposed#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThis%20level%20of%20logging%20isn%E2%80%99t%20what%20anyone%20expects%20when%20using%20a%20service%20designed%20to%20*improve*%20privacy%2C%20not%20to%20mention%20the%20fact%20they%20then%20leaked%20all%20the%20data.%E2%80%9D) or made available for resale. Users who rely on VPNs to bypass protections (for example, to avoid age verification) often turn to unvetted services that can inject malware, act as conduits for phishing/malvertising, or track and monetise behaviour without consent. Likewise, adults who believe a VPN automatically enhances privacy may instead be funnelling their activity into mass data-collection pipelines run by unregulated operators — so using a free or unknown VPN can worsen rather than reduce fraud and privacy risk. **What should you keep in mind when verifying your age online? **  Age checks are going to be more commonplace going forward, with an aim to protect children from harmful content. Here are some of the things you should look for when using an age verification service.  - **Privacy** – No access to details like your name or address - just a confirmation that you are over 18.  - **Data minimisation** - No document uploads, no facial scans, no cookies or tracking of your activities.   - **Security** – End-to-end encryption and zero data retention, so that there's no centralised honey pot of data for hackers to break into.   - **Speed** – Verification in seconds, with minimum effort, for an easy, seamless age check.  - **Control** – You choose whether to verify, and with whom. More importantly, you can see exactly what data is being shared.  ##### OneID® offers **two verification options**—each designed to be fast, private, and secure, with **zero data stored or sold**:  #### **Mobile Number-based Age Verification**  - **Verifies your age automatically** using the mobile network provider’s age record.  - You simply consent once—**no documents, no form-filling, no selfies**.  - Only a confirmation of **your age is****** **over 18** is returned—**no personal data is shared** with websites or stored by OneID®.  - Works instantly and securely on most UK mobile networks (including EE, Vodafone, Virgin Media O2, and Jersey Telecom).  **Open Banking-based Verification**  - Confirms your age based on data **already checked and stored by your bank** (e.g., date of birth from your verified account).  - OneID® acts as a **secure bridge**, not a data processor—**we don’t store your personal information**.  - No documents or uploads needed—just a few taps using your bank app or online banking login.  - **Privacy-preserving by design**: websites never see your bank details, ID, or even your name—just confirmation that you’re over 18.  --- ## How do different age assurance methods stack up? [![OneID Age Assurance Guide](https://oneid.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/July%2025/Screenshot%202025-07-29%20at%2015.35.51.png?width=406&height=319&name=Screenshot%202025-07-29%20at%2015.35.51.png)](https://oneid.uk/how-to-choose-an-age-assurance-for-online-safety) Our [Online Safety Age Assurance Buyer's Guide](https://oneid.uk/how-to-choose-an-age-assurance-for-online-safety) is all you need to compare different age assurance methods, learn which measure is compliant in which region, and what privacy-preserving and seamless age checks should look like.    [![Download Guide](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/8932762/f1b8e244-7c8a-4c3d-9062-dcdef15a41d6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/8932762/f1b8e244-7c8a-4c3d-9062-dcdef15a41d6) --- ##### **Age checks are here to protect you, your privacy and the young.** Concerns about privacy and intrusive data-sharing are understandable given current misinformation, but ultimately misplaced. Fears that age verification solutions collect personal data and will be used to track your activities are unfounded. The real danger comes from going after evasive measures like VPNs, which could open the way for data and financial fraud. What’s worse, this bypass could expose children to harmful content online — exactly the kind of risk the [ Online Safety Act ](https://oneid.uk/online-safety-act)was designed to prevent. Despite media noise, most UK adults are knowingly and willingly adopting robust verification, while the small minority avoiding checks risk greater harm—trading trusted, regulator-approved systems for tools that could compromise both their privacy and security. --- **![OneID logo V2 navy (1)](https://oneid.uk/hubfs/OneID%20logo%20V2%20navy%20(1).svg)** **About OneID®** OneID® is the only UK Identity Service that uses bank-verified data to create absolute certainty between a business and its customers in a fast, simple, secure and truly digital way. Along with bank-verified data, we also offer businesses the flexibility to choose from trusted data sources, like mobile network operators, government identity documents, and our own digital identity wallet—depending on the business and compliance needs they have to meet. OneID®’s real-time verification solutions balance digital ease with the strongest counter-fraud measures. It seamlessly blends into the digital habits of today’s customers, enabling businesses to verify 98% of UK adults with minimal friction and maximum confidence. In addition to identity verification, OneID® simplifies age verification, Direct Debit setup and customer and employee onboarding. By streamlining these processes, OneID® partners businesses implement key regulations like the Online Safety Act, reduce operational costs, improve customer engagement, and drive growth. OneID® is a DIATF-certified, FCA-regulated, and a B Corp business committed to making the digital world safer. Headquartered in the UK, we’ve brought together experts in Digital Identity, Payments, Banking, Technology, and Government to help businesses build trust and security at scale. Share: ## Recent posts ![](https://oneid.uk/hubfs/oneid-standard-kyc-match-count-1783579800124.png) #### [Fintech KYC: onboard more without weaker checks](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/fintech-kyc-onboard-more-without-weaker-checks) Fintech KYC decides the first ninety seconds of onboarding. Someone downloads the app, enters their deta... [Read now](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/fintech-kyc-onboard-more-without-weaker-checks) ![](https://oneid.uk/hubfs/oneid-standard-age-1783271151339.png) #### [What is age verification, and how does it work?](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/what-is-age-verification-and-how-does-it-work) Age verification is the process of confirming that a person is old enough to access a product, service o... [Read now](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/what-is-age-verification-and-how-does-it-work) ![](https://oneid.uk/hubfs/oneid-standard-identity-1783271134287.png) #### [The UK digital driving licence: what it is, when it arrives, and how it will be used](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/the-uk-digital-driving-licence-what-it-is-when-it-arrives-and-how-it-will-be-used) The UK digital driving licence is a version of your driving licence held on your phone rather than on a ... [Read now](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/the-uk-digital-driving-licence-what-it-is-when-it-arrives-and-how-it-will-be-used) ![](https://oneid.uk/hubfs/oneid-standard-identity-1783271110780.png) #### [UK government ID: the digital ID scheme and the wallet](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/uk-government-id-the-digital-id-scheme-and-the-wallet) UK government digital ID refers to the government’s own tools for proving who you are online. In the UK,... [Read now](https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/uk-government-id-the-digital-id-scheme-and-the-wallet) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "OneID® Team", "url" : "https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/author/the-oneid-team" }, "dateModified" : "2025-09-17T13:12:17.662Z", "datePublished" : "2025-08-12T10:40:30.000Z", "headline" : "What are free VPNs hiding from you? Fraud risks, malwares and more. 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It confirms a person's identity and age in seconds, using multiple methods: bank-verified identity, document authentication, on-device facial age estimation, mobile network age checks, digital wallet credentials and international eIDs. OneID was one of the first identity providers certified under the UK Digital Verification Services Trust Framework (DVSTF), and is the first Orchestration Service Provider and the first Holder/Wallet provider. 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