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UK proxy traffic surges as users consider VPN alternatives amid Online Safety Act. It's 'more than a temporary trend,' Decodo claims. Amid the furor around surging VPN usage in the UK, many users are eyeing proxies as a potential alternative to the technology. A proxy server sits between a device and the internet – the most common type is a "forward proxy" – effectively acting as an intermediary and masking a user's IP address. It can also overcome geo-restrictions and, in light of recent restrictions in the UK arising from the Online Safety Act, present an alternative to VPNs. The UK's Online Safety Act requires regulated services providing primary-priority content, such as commercial pornography or self-harm and suicide material, to check the age of UK users before allowing access. Proxy vendor Decodo says its internal data shows a 65 percent increase in UK proxy users, with proxy traffic up 88 percent. The figures aren't as eye-catching as those for VPNs, but still represent a significant uptick as users deal with the fallout from the Online Safety Act. VPNs and proxy servers are, on the face of it, similar: both can mask a user's IP address and dodge geo-restrictions. However, VPNs rely on full encryption and use a single access tunnel, whereas proxies enable selective routing (and, as reverse proxies, load balancing) but don't provide end-to-end encryption by default. "Encryption alone doesn't guarantee a secure connection. True security depends on how traffic is routed, what's exposed, and how much control the company has. With proxies, only selected traffic is routed, giving enterprises tighter control, lower attack surface, and better integration into existing security policies," Gabriele Verbickaitė, senior product marketing manager at Decodo, told The Register. "A properly configured proxy, especially with SOCKS5 protocol support, can deliver stronger operational security for businesses than most commercial VPNs," he claimed. "SOCKS5 proxies mask full traffic paths without altering packet headers, reducing the risk of leaks or protocol issues." Decodo is, of course, keen for users to sign up to one of its wide range of proxy services, but the point is valid and the increase in interest in proxy services is growing. According to Decodo, the uptick is "more than a temporary trend." "It signals that businesses are making calculated decisions in response to mounting uncertainty about the future of VPN services in the United Kingdom," the outfit claimed. VPNs are highly unlikely to be made illegal in the UK any time soon, regardless of the amount of handwringing over moves to sidestep the restrictions of the UK's Online Safety Act. However, as Decodo's figures show, some users are hedging their bets with alternatives and looking again at online access and data operations.