Freedom or Protection? New Study by PRophet, a Stagwell (STGW) Company, Reveals Global Skepticism Toward Online Age Verification

The backlash is particularly visible in the United Kingdom, where the rollout has already begun. Online searches for VPN services there reached their highest level since January 2023 at the end of July 2025 – a clear signal that many users are seeking ways to bypass the new verification requirements. The backlash is particularly visible in theUnited Kingdom, where the rollout has already begun. Online searches for VPN services there reached their highest level sinceJanuary 2023at the end...

The backlash is particularly visible in the United Kingdom, where the rollout has already begun. Online searches for VPN services there reached their highest level since January 2023 at the end of July 2025 – a clear signal that many users are seeking ways to bypass the new verification requirements.

Key Findings

"Our analysis shows that this is not just a technical question – it's a matter of trust," said Tim Zecchin, Managing Director UK at PRophet. "Age verification will only gain acceptance if the process is transparent, data is secure, and users clearly understand their rights. Without that, both governments and brands risk a lasting erosion of trust."

Implications for Policymakers and Businesses

The study underscores that successful implementation of age-verification systems requires more than technology alone. For platforms and brands, transparency, demonstrable data security, and frictionless user experiences are critical. For governments, the challenge lies in enforcing child-protection policies while safeguarding freedom of expression and minority rights.

Detailed findings, country comparisons, and methodological insights from the Online Age Verification / Digital Trust study can be found here.

About PRophet 

PRophet is a suite of AI-powered SaaS software and services designed to empower and support the next generation of human-led, AI-fed "communications engineers" working in the PR, social and influencer marketing community.    

PRophet Media Intelligence (F/K/A UNICEPTA) is the largest provider of global media, market intelligence and social listening tools, delivering unmatched insights and analysis to communicators worldwide.    

PRophet Earn harnesses predictive, cognitive and generative AI to help users discover, target and engage with high-authority journalists and leading influencers. This media relations solution creates and tests "mediable" PR content to predict journalist interest and sentiment.     

PRophet Influence, powered by influencermarketing.ai, combines influencer discovery, analytics, brand safety and tracking technologies to inform and manage influencer campaigns with precision and performance in mind.  

PRophet was awarded PRovoke Media's Innovation SABRE in 2023-2025, a 2024 Webby Award, and was included in PR News' 2024 Tech Hotlist. PRophet is headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington DC, London, Cologne, Berlin, Zurich, São Paulo and Shanghai and is part of The Marketing Cloud (TMC), a suite of data-driven SaaS solutions built for the modern marketer. Visit www.prprophet.ai to learn more.  

Contact
Sarah Schulze
PRophet, EMEA
[email protected] 
+49 16090815945  

Alyssa Bourne-Peters
PRophet, US
[email protected] 
+1 917 592 9795  

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