UK users are swapping VPNs for proxies - at their own peril

Proxy hosting services have reported a striking increase in business from UK users since the Online Safety Act was introduced, with one, Decodo, recently citing a 65% increase. Following the Act, some British internet users are finding that reliable VPNs are more expensive than they'd anticipated - and relying instead on proxies. To some extent, this makes sense, because if you want a decent VPN that can handle streaming and other demanding uses, you're not going to be able to get it for free, but you can get a free proxy.

Although free proxy servers are easy to find and might help you to circumvent blocks on certain content, the safer "residential" proxy servers (proxy servers that use IP address ranges reserved for residential use) are less common and are rarely reviewed. Conversely, the best VPN providers receive considerable scrutiny from reviewers and auditors. For this reason, it's much better to use a VPN if you're worried about your online safety and privacy.

But if you don't know what you're looking for, it's easy to end up using a dodgy proxy site, being served a slew of adware, and perhaps not even finding a way around the content blocking. If you're after a gaming VPN to access region-exclusive games or content, then a lot of proxies just aren't going to hack it.

It gets worse. Some free proxies can deliver malware, and farm password and account details when you log into existing accounts via the proxy. Meanwhile, slower internet speeds are inevitable if you access a site via a proxy. Using a VPN for gaming or any other purpose will have a small impact on your internet speed, but with a proxy, the slowdown is considerable.

You're also at risk of breaching a website's terms of service.
Wherever you are in the world, free proxy sites are a risk. While Decodo and competitors like Oxylabs have worked hard to make residential proxies a safe alternative to VPNs, the fact remains that VPNs guarantee privacy through encryption, while proxies don't.

In May 2025, Trend Micro identified that cybercriminals were using residential proxies to scrape data, commit ad fraud and click fraud, bypass banking systems' antifraud measures, and more. While it is true that there are dodgy VPNs out there too, they're not as common as dodgy proxies, and you know you're safe when using one of the big services that is in the public eye.

Proxy servers have their uses, but maintaining your privacy online and avoiding censorship is not one of them. If that's what you're looking for, you need a VPN like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark.

For guidance on using a VPN with a specific game, read our guides on the best Warzone VPN and the best Minecraft VPN. They highlight all the benefits that are up for grabs.