Proton VPN signups surge 1,400% as UK age verification law begins

The popular virtual private network (VPN) is reporting a 1,400 percent hourly increase in signups over its baseline so far on Friday, July 25, the day the UK's age verification law goes into effect.

This is according to an Observatory page on the Proton VPN website that tracks such usage jumps.

Proton VPN previously documented a 1,000 percent surge in new subscribers in June after Pornhub left France, its second-biggest market, amid the enactment of an age verification law there.

"This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy," the spokesperson said.

Founded in 2017, Proton VPN currently has 13,700 servers in more than 120 countries worldwide.