At the end of 2025, Europe makes a sharp turn from protecting digital freedoms to strict regulation. While Brussels discusses control over messengers, Denmark is preparing to become the first EU country to criminalize ordinary users for using VPNs to bypass geo-blocking.
1. Danish Precedent: Crime for Watching Netflix
The Danish Ministry of Culture has proposed a bill to amend the Copyright Act. The initiative, which is due to enter into force by July 2026, aims to create a so-called «technologically neutral ban on online piracy».
However, the definition of «illegal equipment» now includes not only physical decoders but also software solutions — VPNs and proxy servers. If previously using a VPN to access the American Netflix library was merely a violation of the service's Terms of Service, the new law proposes to classify this as an offense.
2. Fines for Citizens and Jail for Sellers
The bill clearly divides liability, but for the first time introduces direct risks for ordinary content consumers.
- Private Individuals: Citizens using a VPN to view content unavailable in their region (geo-blocking) may be subject to fines. The explanatory memorandum states that the ban extends to the «possession and use» of such means.
- Commercial Sector: Distribution, sale, or advertising of tools to bypass blocking carries a more severe punishment — up to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment.
3. Pan-European Context: Freedoms Are Shrinking
The Danish initiative is not an isolated case but fits into the general trend of «tightening the screws» in the EU in 2024–2025. The digital space is becoming increasingly transparent to authorities.
In parallel with the Danish law, debates continue in the EU surrounding the Chat Control regulation. Although mandatory scanning of correspondence was postponed due to protests, the new version of the law emphasizes «voluntary detection» and strict age verification, which effectively leads to the de-anonymization of internet users.
