Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld analyzes top VPN options for Utah residents following Senate Bill 73, the first state law targeting VPN use for age-verification purposes.
- NordVPN leads with fastest speeds and advanced features, while Mullvad offers exceptional privacy at $5 monthly and ExpressVPN provides extensive US coverage.
- Utah’s new law creates uncertainty for VPN users, potentially leading to traffic blocking or invasive identity checks by websites.
Utah residents are facing a major shift in online privacy. A new state law, Senate Bill 73, has made Utah the first state to specifically target VPN use as part of its online age-verification rules, holding websites responsible even when users attempt to mask their location with a VPN. Privacy advocates warn the law could pressure websites into blocking VPN traffic entirely or expanding invasive identity checks for everyone.
While the law doesn’t ban VPNs outright, it does create new uncertainty for Utah internet users who rely on VPNs for legitimate privacy and security reasons—whether that’s protecting personal data on public Wi-Fi, avoiding tracking from advertisers, securing remote work connections, or simply keeping browsing activity private. But despite the new restrictions, VPNs remain one of the most effective tools for encrypting your internet traffic and improving your overall online security.
That makes choosing the right VPN more important than ever. Below, we’ve rounded up the best VPN services for Utah residents, focusing on privacy protections, speed, reliability, and features that can help keep your online activity secure in an increasingly regulated internet landscape.
Below are my top picks for VPNs if you’re in Utah where access may be restricted.
NordVPN – Best overall
NordVPN is my overall top pick for VPNs. It comes with a ton of great features including Double VPN, ad- and tracker-blocking, Dark Web monitoring, plus plenty of domestic U.S. and international servers—with coverage in every state.
It also has the fastest connection speeds and advanced protocol and obfuscation features to help evade VPN targeting by websites. Additionally, NordVPN has one of the widest platform support networks meaning you’ll be able to view unrestricted content on all of your devices.
ExpressVPN – Runner-up
ExpressVPN is a close second to NordVPN, only losing out due to slightly slower speeds and not as many extra features. These are minor issues, though, and ExpressVPN is a fantastic option for all VPN users. In fact, as a result of all of these recent age-verification laws, ExpressVPN completed a massive U.S. network expansion to include servers in every U.S. State. So you can rest assured you’ll be able to access your favorite sites no matter where you reside.
It also consistently has great speeds, meaning content loads quickly and you can stream in uninterrupted HD—depending on your home internet speeds of course. Plus, it works with every device and comes with one of the best user-privacy records around.
Mullvad – Best for privacy
Depending on how seriously you take your privacy, Mullvad might actually be the best VPN option. Not only is this service among the top five fastest VPNs, but it’s also the best for privacy hands-down.
Mullvad goes out of its way to know as little about you as possible. It doesn’t ask for an email address or name and you can even mail in a cash payment if you prefer to keep your credit card off record. Plus, it only costs $5 per month regardless of the plan you choose.
That being said, Mullvad does not have servers in every state, but the server network is still big enough that you shouldn’t have to worry about accessing content from anywhere.
Proton VPN – Best free VPN
While I don’t usually recommend that anyone use a free VPN due to their proven security and privacy risks, Proton VPN is one of the few exceptions. This service from the popular Swiss-based Proton brand has a spotless track record for user privacy. And the best part is that it’s ad-free.
Just like all free VPNs, there are limitations, but thankfully Proton VPN keeps them relatively manageable. At no cost, you’ll be limited to one device and get access to five servers located in different countries around the world (including the U.S.). There are no speed or data limits on these free servers either, something that’s very rare among free VPNs.
Just note that Proton VPN’s free plan only connects you to the nearest available U.S. server, which may be located in a state with age-verification laws in place. Still, the free service is worth trying, and you can always upgrade later for access to all 11,000+ server locations and the full feature set.