Utah's Department of Commerce has agreed to temporarily halt enforcement of SB 73, a first-in-the-nation law targeting VPN usage as part of the state's age verification crackdown on adult content. The law, which took effect Thursday, would hold websites liable for users' VPN usage and treat anyone physically in Utah as accessing sites from the state regardless of VPN use. Privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warn this could force websites to ban VPN IPs globally or mandate invasive age verification for all visitors.

The enforcement pause comes as a federal judge considers a legal challenge from Aylo, the company that owns Pornhub, which has blocked access in 25 states rather than comply with age verification laws. Aylo argues the measures create substantial identity theft and privacy risks. At a Thursday hearing, the judge indicated no timeline for a ruling.

Utah originally signed the law in March with a May effective date, but delayed initial rollout due to the lawsuit. The case's outcome could set precedent for how states regulate VPNs alongside age verification requirements.