Starting November 30, 2025, people in Missouri will find the digital world reshaped: anyone wishing to visit websites containing “harmful” adult material will need to prove they are at least 18 years old by showing ID.
This new requirement marks Missouri’s entry into the growing group of US states adopting age verification laws for online content. Yet the move does more than restrict access; it raises serious questions about how much personal data people must surrender just to browse freely.
For many, that tradeoff is likely to make privacy tools like VPNs a near necessity rather than a choice.
The law defines its targets broadly. Any site or app where over one-third of the material is classified as “harmful to minors” must block entry until users confirm their age.
Those who do not comply risk penalties that can reach $10,000 a day, with violations categorized as “unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful practices.”
To meet these standards, companies are permitted to check age through digital ID systems, government-issued documents such as driver’s licenses or passports, or existing transactional data that proves a person’s age.
More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda
Adding another layer of complexity, mobile operating systems with at least ten million US users must provide a built-in verification mechanism that external sites can rely on.
Missouri’s statute does attempt to address privacy directly, stating that companies must “use all reasonable methods” to safeguard personal data and avoid storing identifying information unless required by law enforcement.
But few observers are convinced that this language ensures real protection against misuse or breaches.
That concern is not theoretical. When a service used by Discord was breached, over 70,000 government ID photos were leaked.
It became an alarming reminder of how fragile “secure” verification systems can be once private data is demanded for frivolous reasons.
What sets Missouri’s version apart is its expectation that tech companies like Apple and Google will now play an active role. These firms are required to make available a digital ID tool that external websites can use to confirm a user’s age.
The complication, however, is that such technology remains in its infancy, currently used mostly for digital driver’s licenses and airport identity verification.
Missouri’s age check rule reflects a broader national pattern: an increasing willingness by lawmakers to tie access to personal identification.
Each time a state builds such a system, it moves the country closer to a digital environment where proof of identity becomes a condition for participation online, a direction that prioritizes control over autonomy and leaves open vast potential for misuse.
