I run small websites. Forums, chat-related stuff, the kind of places where people show up to talk, hang out, argue about nothing, and occasionally act like normal human beings. Nothing massive. No billion-dollar infrastructure. Just enough moving parts to keep things interesting and occasionally break at 2 AM.
And now apparently… I’m also supposed to be a compliance officer, identity verification provider, and VPN detection expert.
Because governments have decided VPNs are the problem.
I’m Not Pro-VPN… I’m Pro-Common Sense
Let me be clear before someone jumps to conclusions. This isn’t me waving a VPN flag like it’s some sacred object. I’m not “pro-VPN” in the sense that I think everyone should be hiding behind six layers of encryption while ordering pizza.
I’m pro not being forced into an impossible situation as a site owner. There’s a big difference.
VPNs have legitimate uses. Privacy, security, avoiding shady Wi-Fi issues, not broadcasting your entire digital life to whoever feels like collecting it. But the real issue here isn’t VPNs themselves… it’s the expectation that I should somehow detect, block, and enforce rules around them perfectly.
On a small site. With a normal budget. In the real world.
“Protect the Children”… By Making Me Verify Everyone?
The current wave of laws, especially in parts of the United States, is pushing hard on age verification. The idea is simple on paper: restrict access to certain content unless the user proves they’re old enough.
Sounds reasonable… until you look at how it’s being implemented.
We’re not talking about a checkbox anymore. We’re talking:
And here’s the kicker: if someone bypasses that using a VPN, suddenly the website owner might be on the hook.
So now I’m expected to:
Cool. Let me just spin up my billion-dollar compliance department real quick.
Chat Networks Get Hit the Hardest
If you run a static site, this is annoying.
If you run anything involving real-time communication, like chat systems, IRC-style networks, or community hubs… this is a nightmare.
Chat platforms rely on accessibility. People connect from everywhere. Mobile networks, shared connections, work networks, weird ISPs, and yes… sometimes VPNs.
Not because they’re trying to do something shady, but because:
Now imagine trying to filter all of that in real time while users are connecting, disconnecting, sending messages, and expecting things to just work.
You can’t just “block VPNs” without breaking legitimate users.
And yet somehow, I’m supposed to do exactly that.
The Cost of “Compliance” (Spoiler: It’s Not Cheap)
Let’s talk about what this actually means for small site owners.
Because this isn’t just a philosophical problem. It’s a financial one.
To even attempt compliance, you’re looking at:
And that’s before you even try to deal with VPN detection, which is a constantly moving target.
Big companies? They’ll throw money at it.
Small sites? We get to choose between:
That’s not regulation. That’s slow suffocation.
Let’s Be Honest: You Can’t Reliably Stop VPNs
Here’s the part nobody seems to want to say out loud.
You can’t reliably stop VPN users.
Not without going full surveillance mode, and even then it’s a losing battle.
People who really want to bypass restrictions will.
The only people you end up hurting are normal users who just wanted to connect without jumping through hoops.
And Now Everyone Has to Hand Over Their Identity
This is where things go from “annoying” to “bad for everyone.”
To access certain content, users are now being asked to prove who they are. Not vaguely. Not casually. Actually verify.
So now we’re building a system where:
Because nothing has ever gone wrong with large collections of personal data online, right?
This doesn’t just affect “those types of sites.” Once the system exists, it spreads. It always does.
What This Means Going Forward (For People Like Me)
If this keeps moving in the same direction, here’s what I expect as a small site owner:
And maybe the worst part… less incentive to even run small community sites at all.
Because at some point, it stops being worth the headache.
There Are Better Ways to Protect Kids
This is the part that drives me the most insane.
There are better ways to protect kids online that don’t involve turning every website into a mini surveillance state.
Things like:
You know… solutions that actually involve parents and guardians, instead of dumping everything on random website owners.
Final Thoughts: This Hurts the Wrong People
At the end of the day, this isn’t really about VPNs.
It’s about shifting responsibility.
Instead of building smarter systems or better tools, the burden gets pushed onto:
People who don’t have the resources to deal with it.
I’m not asking for a lawless internet.
I’m asking not to be held to an impossible standard where I’m expected to control things that even massive companies struggle with.
Because right now, the direction we’re heading in doesn’t just hurt privacy…
It makes running small websites feel like a liability instead of something worth building.
And that’s a much bigger problem than VPNs ever were.
