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UK businesses are replacing VPNs with proxy services because of 'tighter
regulations' and expected 'restrictions'

Date:
Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:04:00 +0000

Description:
Growing proxy adoption reflects businesses preparing for uncertainty, while 
UK regulators consider tighter VPN restrictions.

FULL STORY

Many UK firms are worrying further VPN regulation could be on the cards, 
after the divisive Online Safety Act led to explosive interest in the tools,
driving regulators to take notice and businesses to explore alternatives. 

This is not about traditional business VPNs (such as SonicWall, Cisco
AnyConnect, or Fortinet) that secure employee access to internal networks, 
but rather about specialist VPN services used for external online operations. 

As a result of growing uncertainty, companies are increasingly turning to
proxy services , which offer greater flexibility and fewer compliance 
concerns than VPNs.

UK interest increasing 

Proxies, unlike VPNs which encrypt traffic and direct it through a single
tunnel, offer more granular routing and customizable access, allowing
organizations to conduct location-specific data collection, navigate
geo-restrictions, and monitor competitors with reduced risk of detection or
blocking. 

Data from Decodo shows proxy users from the UK increased by 65% following the
launch of the Online Safety Act, while proxy traffic rose by 88%. 

That points to growing reliance on proxies as a standard part of digital
infrastructure rather than a niche tool. 

Companies around the globe are getting smarter about how they operate in
highly competitive landscapes. Instead of just picking the most popular 
tools, theyre choosing what actually works best for them, whether thats
faster, easier to use, or works better with region-specific restrictions. It
shows that people are thinking more critically about their options, said
Vytautas Savickas, CEO at Decodo. 

One reason proxies are expanding so fast is their technical maturity, Decodo
says. Providers now bundle enterprise-grade security features with
user-friendly designs, which makes them suitable for global enterprises as
well as smaller firms. 

At the same time, more UK businesses are learning how to differentiate 
between VPNs and proxies and are matching tools to their goals. 

More organizations in the UK are investing time in understanding the tools
that power secure and efficient online operations. Most companies test out
different solutions, providers, and do their research on proxies and VPNs, 
and theyre also making more informed, strategic choices, said Gabriele
Verbickait, Product Marketing Manager at Decodo. 

Proxies are proving especially valuable in sectors such as eCommerce, 
finance, and digital marketing, with firms using them for tasks like ad
verification, price tracking, SEO monitoring, and fraud prevention. 

Options such as residential, mobile, and ISP proxies allow for greater
stability and location accuracy compared with older methods. 

UK businesses are quickly adopting proxy services, moving beyond simple VPNs
to more advanced setups that offer greater control over their online 
activity. Its no longer just about staying private  performance and
reliability are now just as important, said Vaidotas Juknys, Head of Commerce
at Decodo.

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/uk-businesses-are-replacing-vpns-with-p
roxy-services-because-of-tighter-regulations-and-expected-restrictions

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