{"id":24629,"date":"2026-01-23T14:19:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/?p=24629"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:20:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:20:37","slug":"why-wisconsin-and-michigan-want-to-ban-your-vpn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/why-wisconsin-and-michigan-want-to-ban-your-vpn\/","title":{"rendered":"The Splinternet Hits America: Why Wisconsin and Michigan Want to Ban Your VPN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cPoliticians who can\u2019t tell the difference between a security tool and a \u2018loophole\u2019 shouldn\u2019t be writing laws about the internet.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>We have warned about this. First, they came for the porn sites with age verification laws. Then, they came for the social media platforms. Now, seeing that users have simply turned to privacy tools to stay off the radar, state legislators are going after the tools themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you thought the USA VPN ban talks were just fear-mongering nonsense, welcome to 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN-1024x683.png\" alt=\"Why Wisconsin and Michigan Want to Ban Your VPN\" class=\"wp-image-24631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN-1200x800.png 1200w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Why-Wisconsin-and-Michigan-Want-to-Ban-Your-VPN.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Two states, Wisconsin and Michigan, are currently piloting legislation that would fundamentally break the way the internet works in America. While their stated goal is \u201cprotecting minors\u201d (yes, yes, we\u2019ve heard that before), the reality is a legislative dragnet that treats privacy software as digital contraband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I analyzed the text of <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.legis.wisconsin.gov\/2025\/proposals\/reg\/asm\/bill\/ab105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin\u2019s AB 105<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/legislature.mi.gov\/documents\/2025-2026\/billintroduced\/House\/pdf\/2025-HIB-4938.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michigan\u2019s HB 4938<\/a>. Here is why they are not just dangerous\u2014they are technically illiterate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_ID_Checks_to_VPN_Blocks_The_Global_Context\"><\/span>From ID Checks to VPN Blocks: The Global Context<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It started with a simple premise: \u201cProtect the kids.\u201d In 2025, we watched a domino effect of <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/vpn-digital-id-usa-and-online-age-verification-what-americans-should-know-in-2025\/\">digital ID mandates across the USA<\/a>. Suddenly, you needed a driver\u2019s license to scroll social media in Utah and verify your age to read content in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/vpn-usage-trends-2025-which-countries-lead-in-vpn-adoption\/\">The market reacted<\/a> exactly how any network engineer would predict: users didn\u2019t stop browsing; they just went underground, triggering massive surges in <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/vpns-explained-how-they-work-and-the-best-secure-vpns-of-2025\/\">VPN<\/a> downloads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But wait, is it illegal to use a VPN in the USA? Not yet, but legislators worldwide are realizing that their expensive digital fences have a gaping hole, and rather than rethinking the fence, they are trying to cement that hole. And this isn\u2019t just a quirky local problem. It is a synchronized global crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In <strong>the UK<\/strong>, the implementation of the Online Safety Act has sparked a fierce debate on whether <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/the-uk-debates-age-checks-for-vpns-will-it-protect-kids-or-destroy-adult-privacy\/\">VPNs themselves should require age checks<\/a>, effectively destroying the anonymity they are built to provide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The EU<\/strong> is aggressively rolling out its <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/eu-digital-id-and-age-verification-what-europeans-should-expect-in-2025-26\/\">Digital ID Wallet<\/a>, creating a unified digital identity layer that makes true anonymity increasingly difficult to maintain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Australia<\/strong> is tightening the noose on anonymous browsing with its own <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/australias-digital-id-and-age-verification-explained\/\">digital ID framework<\/a> and social media age checks that are already in effect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even <strong>Denmark<\/strong>, traditionally a bastion of digital rights, has seen startling <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/is-vpn-legal-in-denmark-why-the-governments-sudden-u-turn-isnt-the-end-of-the-story\/\">legal challenges to VPN use<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The pattern is identical from Lansing to London: First, mandate identification. Second, demonize the tools that bypass it. And as people like us are <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/how-to-set-up-a-vpn-at-home-beginner-friendly-guide\/\">using VPNs<\/a> to exercise our right to privacy, Wisconsin and Michigan have joined the list of the battlegrounds in a global war to close that exit door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\ud83e\udde0 Also read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/digital-id-and-vpns-how-privacy-fears-reshape-online-behavior\/\">Digital ID and VPNs: How Privacy Fears Reshape Online Behavior<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Block_or_Pay_Wisconsin_VPN_Proposal_AB_105SB_130\"><\/span>Block or Pay: Wisconsin VPN Proposal (AB 105\/SB 130)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wisconsin isn\u2019t trying to criminalize you for using a VPN\u2014yet. Instead, they are trying to deputize every website owner as a border patrol agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The mechanism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Assembly Bill 105 (and its Senate counterpart SB 130), any website that hosts more than 33.3% content \u201charmful to minors\u201d must not only <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/vpn-age-verification-digital-id-a-2025-privacy-reality-check\/\">verify age<\/a> but also block any user attempting to access the site via a VPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Quick tip:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/what-does-a-vpn-hide\/\">What Does a VPN Hide?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The technical absurdity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sounds simple to a politician. To a network engineer, it is a nightmare. As the EFF points out in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2025\/11\/lawmakers-want-ban-vpns-and-they-have-no-idea-what-theyre-doing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent opposition statement<\/a>, \u201cWebsites have no way to tell if a VPN connection is coming from Milwaukee, Michigan, or Mumbai.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To comply, a website would need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Blocklist data centers:<\/strong> Subscribe to massive lists of IP addresses belonging to <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/best-free-vpns-in-2025-top-secure-reliable-no-cost-options\/\">VPN providers<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implement deep packet inspection (DPI):<\/strong> Analyze the <em>shape<\/em> of your traffic\u2014something a standard web server simply cannot do.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\ud83e\udde0 Also read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/free-vs-paid-vpns-whats-the-real-difference-in-2026\/\">Free vs. Paid VPNs: What\u2019s the Real Difference in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The consequence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VPN detection isn\u2019t perfect, and web application firewall (WAF) tests <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.checkpoint.com\/artificial-intelligence\/waf-security-test-results-how-does-your-vendor-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">show<\/a> that aggressive blocking algorithms have a false positive rate as high as 54.2%. If that Wisconsin VPN law passes, innocent users\u2014like a traveling employee working from a hotel in Milwaukee\u2014could be locked out because their IP address \u201clooks\u201d like a VPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we\u2019re not speaking just about adult content. The bill\u2019s definition of \u201charmful\u201d is broad enough that it could force medical sites, art galleries, and LGBTQ+ resources to implement these blocks or face crushing liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\ud83e\udde0 Also read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/vpn-blocking-where-why-and-how-vpns-get-blocked\/\">VPN Blocking: Where, Why, and How VPNs Get Blocked\u2014And What You Can Do About It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Michigan_VPN_Ban_Plan_HB_4938\"><\/span>Michigan VPN Ban Plan (HB 4938)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If Wisconsin\u2019s bill is a misguided attempt at filtering, Michigan\u2019s HB 4938 is the nuclear option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Titled the \u201cAnticorruption of Public Morals Act,\u201d this Michigan VPN law goes significantly further. It explicitly aims to ban the sale, installation, or use of \u201ccircumvention tools,\u201d defining them as anything that allows a user to \u201cbypass internet filtering mechanisms.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here is the problem: that is also the definition of the security software used by every bank, hospital, and remote-first company in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As cybersecurity expert Tim O\u2019Connor noted in his <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.cadre.net\/update-michigan-law-banning-vpns-and-post-quantum-vpn-encryption\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">analysis of the bill<\/a>, \u201cThe bill would effectively shut down not only personal VPNs but also VPN technology used for processing credit cards, security updates, industrial systems, and remote work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you live in Detroit and work for a bank. To access customer records securely from your home Wi-Fi, you <em>must<\/em> use a <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/types-of-vpn-explained-how-each-works-and-which-is-best-for-you\/\">corporate VPN<\/a>. Under a strict reading of this Michigan anti-VPN law, your employer is distributing a circumvention tool, and you are using it to bypass local network filtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this bill passes in Michigan, you\u2019ll be viewed as a criminal unless you can prove you aren\u2019t using it for \u201cimmoral\u201d purposes. And in a legal system, proving a negative is a dangerous game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, I doubt that will happen, at least not in the foreseeable future. And here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_US_Constitution_Says\"><\/span>What the U.S. Constitution Says<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/wisconsin\/comments\/1nmnlzg\/just_a_quick_headsup_that_wisconsins_age\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Some users are right to worry<\/a> about what\u2019s going to happen if Wisconsin SB 130 or Michigan HB 4938 proposals pass and set a dangerous precedent for other states that might follow suit, leading to a full-blown VPN ban USA-wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as much as state legislators want to dispute the legal status of VPNs, these bills are on a collision course with the Supreme Court. And there are two massive legal hurdles standing in their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Code is speech<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You might think of a VPN as a tool, but in the eyes of the U.S. judicial system, software code is speech. In the landmark case <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Bernstein-vs-the-US-Department-of-State\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Bernstein v. U.S. Department of Justice<\/em><\/a> (9th Cir. 1999), the court ruled that software source code is protected by the First Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The court compared code to a language\u2014just like French or German\u2014that communicates ideas. So by banning the <em>distribution<\/em> of VPN software (as the HB 4938 Michigan bill proposes), the state is effectively engaging in \u201cprior restraint\u201d of free speech. You cannot ban a language just because someone might use it to conspire to commit a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Dormant Commerce Clause<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. Constitution gives Congress\u2014not the states\u2014the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and between states. This is known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/artI-S8-C3-7-1\/ALDE_00013307\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dormant Commerce Clause<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no Wisconsin or Michigan border station on the internet, so if a company in Switzerland sells a VPN subscription to a user in Milwaukee or Detroit, that is foreign commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courts have historically struck down state internet laws (like in <a href=\"https:\/\/mediacoalition.org\/american-library-association-v-pataki\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>American Libraries Association v. Pataki<\/em><\/a>) because they impose an \u201cundue burden\u201d on interstate trade. A state cannot pass a law that forces a Swiss company to change its global software just to avoid selling to one guy in Detroit. It breaks the concept of a unified national market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VPN_Ban_in_the_USA_Bluff_or_Near_Future\"><\/span>VPN Ban in the USA: Bluff or Near Future?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t expect Michigan HB 4938 or Wisconsin AB 105\/SB 130 to survive their first date with a federal judge. The First Amendment and Commerce Clause arguments against them are simply too strong. But to dismiss this movement as mere political theater is dangerous. The Overton window has shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is VPN legal in the U.S.? For now, the answer remains a definitive yes. But lawmakers have revealed their hand: they no longer see privacy as a default right but as a suspicious anomaly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The real danger isn\u2019t necessarily a total ban tomorrow. It\u2019s a slow strangulation. We expect to see more \u201csoft\u201d censorship\u2014pressure on App Stores to delist privacy tools or regulations that force payment processors to cut ties with VPN companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you are a journalist protecting sources, a remote worker securing bank data, or just a traveler searching for a <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/best-vpns-for-netflix-in-2026\/\">VPN to watch your home Netflix shows<\/a> abroad, the reality is the same: the tools you rely on are officially in the crosshairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The digital exit door is still open. But with the state actively trying to close it, the question is, for how long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Is using a VPN illegal in 2026?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>No, using a VPN is not illegal under federal law. However, if bills like Michigan\u2019s HB 4938 pass, they could create state-level criminal penalties for selling or using VPNs to bypass age verification filters.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Can a website block a VPN reliably?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>Not 100%. Websites block VPNs by checking your IP address against a list of known VPN servers. However, premium VPNs constantly refresh their IP pools to stay ahead of these lists.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>How to bypass a VPN block on a state level?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>If a state mandates blocking, the most effective method is obfuscation (or \u201cStealth Mode\u201d). This wraps your VPN traffic in an extra layer of encryption that makes it look like regular HTTPS web traffic, fooling the filters.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Does a VPN bypass age verification?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>Technically, yes. A VPN masks your location, allowing you to access a site from a jurisdiction that doesn\u2019t require ID scans. This is exactly why states are now trying to ban the VPNs themselves.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cPoliticians who can\u2019t tell the difference between a security tool and a \u2018loophole\u2019 shouldn\u2019t be writing laws about the internet.\u201d \u2014 Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). We have warned about this. First, they came for the porn sites with age verification laws. Then, they came for the social media platforms. Now, seeing that users have simply&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/why-wisconsin-and-michigan-want-to-ban-your-vpn\/\" target=\"_blank\">Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":25633,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-toc-on-top.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1157],"tags":[2697,2701,2693,1181,2689],"class_list":["post-24629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vpn","tag-is-it-illegal-to-use-vpn-in-usa","tag-michigan-hb-4938","tag-michigan-vpn-law","tag-vpn","tag-wisconsin-vpn"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Splinternet Hits America: Why Wisconsin and Michigan Want to Ban Your VPN - Outbyte Official Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wisconsin VPN users could soon face new restrictions. Learn why Wisconsin and Michigan want to limit VPN use, how these bills work, and what it means for privacy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/why-wisconsin-and-michigan-want-to-ban-your-vpn\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Splinternet Hits America: Why Wisconsin and Michigan Want to Ban Your VPN - Outbyte Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wisconsin VPN users could soon face new restrictions. 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