Last week, the United Kingdom began requiring residents to verify their ages before accessing online pornography and other adult content, all in the name of protecting children. Almost immediately, things did not go as planned—although, they did go as expected.

As experts predicted, UK residents began downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) en masse, allowing them to circumvent age verification, which can require users to upload their government IDs, by making it look like they’re in a different country. The UK’s Online Safety Act is just one part of a wave of age-verification efforts around the world. And while these laws may keep some kids from accessing adult content, some experts