- Missouri’s age verification rules affect more than adult-only websites
- Mandatory age verification landed on November 30, 2025
- Experts have criticized the law for its “vague” wording
Mandatory age verification landed in Missouri on Sunday, November 30, and some reports suggest that more websites may be affected than previously thought.
Missouri’s Age Verification Law requires websites and apps to verify that users are at least 18 years old if 33% or more of their content is considered “harmful” to minors. The law defines “harmful” content as sexually explicit material that lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors
Experts speak TechRadar warn that these definitions are still too vague, creating a real risk of “mission creep”. And according to some Reddit users, these concerns aren’t just theoretical — they’re already playing out.
Citing an online lingerie store that requires age verification for certain images as evidence of the problem, one person said: “It seems like a scary speech to me.”
As of Monday, Dec. 1, online sports betting is also legal in Missouri, requiring websites to verify that players are at least 21. However, the state’s Age Verification Act makes no reference to age-restricting this type of content, which could create confusion among providers.
Here at TechRadar, we’ve tried to verify which websites have already been affected by the new rules by connecting to a virtual private network (VPN), but with mixed results so far. This suggests that the new requirements are still being rolled out.
“A pervasive surveillance and censorship regime”
“Missouri’s age verification mandate imposes a sweeping surveillance and censorship regime that will lock millions of adults and young people out of vibrant and legal online spaces,” Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) activist Molly Buckley told TechRadar.
Buckley is particularly critical of the law’s “vague standard” and “harsh penalties,” noting that providers can face fines of up to $10,000 a day for noncompliance. She explains that these risks could “push platforms to over-censor important content, flee the state altogether or ban young people outright to avoid risk of liability.”
Her concerns seem well-founded. In addition to the user reports popping up on Reddit, Aylo — the parent company of many of the biggest adult sites — has officially blocked access to anyone in Missouri. The company stated that it has taken this step in Missouri and several other states that have implemented similar laws to avoid jeopardizing users’ data privacy and security.
To access adult-only content, users must prove their age and identity. They can do this by scanning a government-issued ID, providing other transaction data, or using a digital ID.
Still, according to Buckley and other experts who spoke to TechRadarforcing everyone to hand over their most valuable and sensitive identity data could lead to privacy abuses or data leaks.
“Lawmakers should focus on real solutions for everyone, such as strong privacy protections and restrictions on data brokers, not broad censorship and surveillance mandates like this,” Buckley said.
How a VPN can help
If you’re worried about sharing sensitive details or want to bypass website blocks, consider a VPN. This tool encrypts your internet connection and masks your IP address to bypass geo-restrictions.
Many Missourians are already taking action: Searches for VPNs have quadrupled since the new rules went into effect. Be careful though – shady companies are taking advantage of this increase. A search for “Missouri VPN” already reveals top results from providers our expert reviewers have never heard of.
And while there are a handful of free VPNs that are safe and reliable, they all have limitations. If you can, now is the perfect time to get one of the best VPN services on the market, as they’ve all dropped their prices during Black Friday and are still discounted thanks to some great Cyber Monday VPN deals.
This includes TechRadar’s top-rated service, NordVPN, which is now offering an even better exclusive Cyber Monday discount just for TechRadar readers. Here are all the details:
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone the use of a VPN service to break the law or carry out illegal activities. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
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