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TechRadar

Rob Dunne

AI, age verification and censorship: how the VPN industry tackled 2025's biggest issues – and what it plans to do next

NordVPN Marijus Briedis Internet Norton VPN Proton VPN David Peterson Himmat Bains

Girl on Proton VPN/Aries blanket looking on Proton VPN app on laptop screen - promo image.

The VPN industry faced significant challenges in 2025, navigating age verification, AI and increasing internet censorship. According to Himmat Bains, Product Lead for Norton VPN, it was a “turning point where online privacy shifted from a niche concern to a mainstream expectation.

With that in mind, I spoke to NordVPN, Proton VPN and Norton VPN to find out the biggest events of the past 12 months and to hear what they’re excited about in 2026.

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