A growing number of UK companies are moving away from VPNs and adopting proxy services instead, while regulatory pressures and changing business needs reshape the digital tools used for online operations.

Regulatory Drivers Behind the Shift

The trigger for this apparent trend has been the UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force on 25 July 2025. The law requires platforms hosting user-generated content to carry out risk assessments, enforce strict age verification, and prevent users from bypassing restrictions. Ofcom, the regulator tasked with enforcement, has flagged VPNs as a potential loophole in these measures. This has left businesses increasingly wary about relying on them, even though the government has said there are no immediate plans to ban VPN services outright.

VPN usage in the UK has nevertheless surged in the wake of the Act. For example, figures show Proton VPN sign-ups rose by 1,800 per cent and Nord Security registrations climbed by 1,000 per cent in the days following the new rules, while VPN apps dominated the UK App Store rankings. However, what once looked like a straightforward privacy tool has now become a focal point for regulators. Companies that rely on VPNs for tasks such as market research, competitive analysis, or data collection are finding themselves exposed to new risks of compliance problems and potential scrutiny.

Proxy Demand Surge

This uncertainty has pushed many businesses to explore alternatives. Proxies, which route traffic through an intermediary server without encrypting it in the same way as a VPN, have emerged as a preferred option for a growing range of enterprises. Data from Decodo, a global proxy provider, shows UK proxy users have increased by 65 per cent since the Act was introduced, with proxy traffic rising by 88 per cent.

Industry leaders suggest this is not just a temporary workaround but a reflection of a more deliberate strategy. “Companies around the globe are getting smarter about how they operate in highly competitive landscapes. Instead of just picking the most popular tools, they’re choosing what actually works best for them,” said Vytautas Savickas, CEO at Decodo.

Examples of Proxy Providers

Several proxy companies now leading the market for UK businesses. For example, Oxylabs and Bright Data are recognised for their scale, offering millions of residential, datacentre, mobile and ISP IP addresses worldwide, including large UK pools. Decodo, formerly Smartproxy, has become popular for its balance of affordability and ease of use, while Webshare provides reliable service and even a free tier for smaller tasks. SOAX specialises in city-level targeting across the UK, making it useful for location-sensitive operations, while IPRoyal and Rampage Proxies are seen as accessible entry-level choices. Together, these firms illustrate how far the proxy market has developed, offering tools that range from budget options to enterprise-grade services.

How Much Do Proxies Cost?

Obviously, pricing for proxies varies depending on type, usage volume and provider. Just as an example, however, at the lower end, services like Rampage Proxies start around $1 per gigabyte for residential proxies, while SOAX charges about $3.60 per gigabyte on smaller plans, dropping to closer to $2.50 for high-volume commitments. Enterprise providers such as Oxylabs and Bright Data are typically in the $3–$4 per gigabyte range. In practical terms, this means a small business might spend £100–£300 per month, with medium-sized operations budgeting £300–£1,000, and large enterprises paying upwards of £1,200. By contrast, business VPNs usually charge per user, between $7 and $18 a month, which is cost-effective for secure team access but less suited to the high-volume, region-specific tasks where proxies are increasingly used.

Technical and Strategic Benefits

One reason proxies are becoming more attractive is the greater level of control they provide. VPNs typically encrypt traffic and route it through a single tunnel, which is valuable for privacy but less useful for certain business functions. Proxies, on the other hand, allow more granular routing and customisable access. This means organisations can target data collection by location, test region-specific websites, or monitor competitors without triggering the same kinds of red flags that VPN use often does.

For example, in eCommerce, proxies are being used for price tracking and ad verification, ensuring that online campaigns appear correctly in different regions. In finance and fintech, they help detect fraudulent activity by simulating access from multiple jurisdictions. In digital marketing, SEO teams rely on proxies to monitor search results from specific countries.

As Gabriele Verbickaitė, Product Marketing Manager at Decodo, explained: “More organisations 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 they’re also making more informed, strategic choices.”

Innovative Proxy Types

It should also be noted here that the technology itself has matured rapidly. For example, modern proxy services are no longer niche or unstable tools but come bundled with enterprise-grade security features and user-friendly platforms. Companies can now choose from residential proxies, which mimic the IP addresses of home users, also mobile proxies, which use cellular networks, ISP proxies, which combine stability with speed, and datacentre proxies, which are optimised for scale and performance.

This variety gives firms options that align with their specific objectives. Residential and mobile proxies, for example, are harder to detect and block, making them useful for ad verification or web scraping. ISP and datacentre proxies, by contrast, are better suited to tasks requiring speed and high volumes of data. Vaidotas Juknys, Head of Commerce at Decodo, said: “UK businesses are quickly adopting proxy services, moving beyond simple VPNs to more advanced setups that offer greater control over their online activity. It’s no longer just about staying private – performance and reliability are now just as important.”

Security Trade-Offs

However, despite their appeal, proxies are not without risks. The key difference is that proxies do not encrypt traffic in the same way that VPNs do, leaving data potentially more exposed to interception or monitoring. For businesses dealing with sensitive information, this can create vulnerabilities if additional protections are not in place.

Free or poorly managed proxies pose even greater concerns. Studies have shown that many free proxy services are either unstable or actively malicious. Research published last year (University of Maryland and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics) found that only around 34.5 per cent of free proxies tested were active, with many exposing users to adware, credential theft, or malware. For this reason, security experts warn that firms should treat proxies as part of a broader, layered security strategy rather than a like-for-like replacement for VPNs.

At the same time, critics note that the rapid adoption of proxies could create its own regulatory flashpoints. Just as VPNs are being scrutinised for their role in bypassing restrictions, widespread proxy use may eventually attract similar attention. Privacy campaigners argue that this arms race between regulation and circumvention tools risks undermining trust in digital services altogether.

Some Key Challenges and Criticisms

The transition also raises some practical challenges. For example, businesses must ensure that the proxy providers they use have robust security and compliance standards. Unlike VPNs, which are relatively standardised, the proxy market is fragmented, with varying levels of reliability and transparency among providers. Companies that depend heavily on proxies for data-driven decision-making could find themselves exposed if those services are blocked, blacklisted, or compromised.

Another criticism is that while proxies offer technical advantages, they do not necessarily solve the deeper issues driving regulation in the first place. The Online Safety Act was designed to protect children and reduce harmful content online, yet businesses adopting proxies to sidestep VPN concerns may only be shifting the problem rather than addressing it.

These concerns highlight the complexity of the issue. On one side, businesses need practical tools to compete globally, collect data, and operate efficiently. On the other, regulators are pushing for tighter oversight of digital access, with VPNs and now proxies caught in the middle of the debate.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The evidence suggests that the move from VPNs to proxies is more than just a passing reaction to regulation. For UK businesses, proxies appear to offer some real operational advantages, from accurate regional targeting to resilience against restrictions that can disrupt data-driven work. Sectors such as eCommerce, finance and digital marketing are already embedding these services into their daily operations, treating them not as optional extras but as essential infrastructure. For many firms, the ability to monitor competitors, verify advertising, or track prices across multiple markets has become too important to risk on tools that may fall under heavier regulatory pressure.

However, the shift also carries unavoidable trade-offs. For example, proxies may deliver speed and flexibility, but they do not provide the same encryption and privacy protections as VPNs, which creates a different risk profile. This is forcing companies to rethink their wider security strategies and balance operational performance with robust safeguards. For regulators, the trend signals another layer of complexity, as proxy use could undermine some of the very protections that the Online Safety Act was intended to enforce.

What this means for UK businesses is that digital infrastructure decisions are no longer simply about cost or convenience. For proxy providers, the surge in demand represents an opportunity to cement their place in the enterprise market, but it also brings responsibility to deliver reliable, transparent and secure services. For policymakers, the growth of proxies underscores the difficulty of regulating technologies that adapt faster than legislation.

The result is a more finely balanced environment, where businesses gain new capabilities but also face new scrutiny. Proxies may now be the tool of choice for many UK firms, but their adoption highlights wider questions about how companies, regulators and consumers can navigate the shifting ground of online access and digital control.

English-speaking social engineers are now among the most in-demand recruits on cybercriminal forums, with job ads more than doubling between 2024 and mid-2025, according to ReliaQuest.

Often described as “impersonation-as-a-service”, criminals can now subscribe to training, scripts, and tools that make it easier to trick employees into handing over access. Groups such as Scattered Spider and ShinyHunters have used these techniques to launch targeted account-takeover attacks, including recent breaches of Salesforce accounts at firms like Dior, Chanel, Allianz, and Google.

Experts say English remains the priority because it allows attackers to convincingly impersonate staff at global companies, giving them a clear advantage over automated phishing or generic malware.

For organisations, the best defence lies in strong identity controls and staff training. Multi-factor authentication, strict verification procedures, and regular awareness exercises can help stop employees being manipulated into giving away access.

Japanese housing firm Lib Work has completed the country’s first 3D-printed house made primarily from soil, a development that could reshape how homes are built and raise important questions about cost, practicality and sustainability.

Who Is Behind the Project?

Lib Work, based in Kumamoto Prefecture, is a housing developer known for pushing new ideas in construction. The company began experimenting with 3D printing earlier this year with its Model A prototype but has now unveiled the “Lib Earth House Model B”, a 1,000-square-foot property printed almost entirely from soil.

The project was developed in collaboration with engineers at Arup Japan, along with local design studios Ogawaa Design and Kyotani Architectural Design. Together they set out to prove that earth, a material used in traditional Japanese buildings for centuries, can be adapted to meet modern standards of strength, safety and comfort when combined with industrial-scale 3D printing.

Lib Work says this second prototype is five times stronger than its predecessor and complies with Japanese building codes, including earthquake resistance grade 3. That detail is significant in a country where seismic safety is a constant requirement for new housing.

How Does Soil Printing Work?

The process of building the Lib Earth House begins with laying a standard concrete foundation, after which a large 3D printer is installed on site. Instead of pumping a cement-based mix, the printer extrudes layers of soil blended with lime and natural plant fibres. These materials are deposited directly from digital design data, creating curved and organic wall shapes that would be difficult to achieve with traditional methods.

Once the walls are in place, a timber framework is erected inside them to complete the main structure, with interior finishing carried out using conventional techniques. The mix of earth and fibres creates a solid exterior wall that is structurally independent and, according to Lib Work, has a lower carbon footprint than reinforced concrete or even timber.

To address concerns about long-term durability, the company has built-in an in-wall condensation detection system to monitor moisture and prevent hidden deterioration. The house is also designed to operate off-grid, using rooftop solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall battery for energy storage.

Why Move Away From Concrete?

The construction industry is one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions, and concrete production is a major reason why. Making cement, the key ingredient in concrete, requires heating limestone to very high temperatures in kilns powered largely by fossil fuels. According to MIT’s Climate Portal, a single new house can create between 15 and 100 tonnes of CO₂ during construction, much of it from cement.

Efforts are underway to develop lower-carbon cement alternatives, but progress is slow. By using soil, a resource that can be sourced locally and requires little processing, emissions can be drastically reduced. Lib Work estimates that a 100-square-metre home built with its earthen mixture cuts CO₂ emissions by about 50 per cent compared with concrete, and even slightly less than timber.

For Japan, where timber is widely used in construction, the idea of returning to earth as a material has cultural as well as environmental appeal. Soil naturally regulates humidity and insulates well, which makes it suited to the country’s hot and humid summers.

Costs and Practicalities

It should be noted here that building a 3D-printed home is not yet cheaper than conventional methods, but the process holds long-term promise. Printing reduces labour requirements, a critical factor in Japan where the construction workforce is ageing rapidly. Government data suggests the number of skilled craftsmen may fall to one-third of today’s level within 20 years. Automating large parts of the building process could help close that gap.

Lib Work has not disclosed final prices for the Model B but has said pre-orders will begin later this year, with sales starting in early 2026. The company aims to build 10,000 of these homes by 2040 and is preparing a nationwide franchise model to scale up production.

What Could This Mean for Sustainability?

If adopted more widely, soil-based 3D printing could help reduce the carbon impact of housing while also creating homes tailored to local conditions. Unlike global supply chains for cement, soil can often be sourced from the building site itself. That reduces transportation emissions and helps ensure materials match local climate needs.

The approach could also help speed up construction in areas hit by natural disasters. For example, after earthquakes, typhoons or floods, rebuilding quickly and cheaply is often a struggle. A mobile printer able to use locally available earth could, therefore, provide a faster alternative to conventional building methods, particularly in regions where materials are scarce.

A Growing Global Trend?

It seems that Japan is not alone in experimenting with 3D-printed housing. For example, in the United States, Texas-based ICON has built concrete-based printed homes and is working with NASA on using lunar regolith to print future structures on the Moon. In Europe, Italian start-up WASP has created experimental houses made from clay and natural fibres, while in Africa, 14Trees (a joint venture between Holcim and CDC Group) has constructed schools and homes in Malawi and Kenya using concrete printing.

However, what distinguishes Lib Work’s approach is its elimination of cement altogether. Most 3D-printed homes worldwide still rely on a cement-based mix, which limits their sustainability benefits. By demonstrating that soil can achieve the necessary structural strength and regulatory approval, Lib Work may set a precedent for others to follow.

Key Challenges and Criticisms

Despite the excitement, there are still hurdles. Soil-based structures face questions about long-term durability, especially in wetter climates. While Japan’s new design uses monitoring systems to address this, critics argue that maintenance costs could rise over time.

Another challenge is scalability. 3D-printing homes requires large, expensive machines and skilled operators. Although automation reduces labour, the upfront investment remains high. For developing countries where housing shortages are most severe, this technology may be difficult to afford without external support.

There are also questions about aesthetics and consumer acceptance. Many buyers may prefer traditional homes built from wood or brick, particularly in cultures where home ownership is tied closely to status and tradition. Convincing people to embrace soil-based homes may require not only engineering progress but also a cultural shift.

Where Next for Lib Work?

The company is already looking beyond individual houses. It has signalled plans to apply 3D printing to hotels, retail buildings and even overseas markets, starting with Indonesia. Lib Work is also partnering with technology firm Maket to integrate generative AI into design, moving toward what it calls “AI full auto build”, a system where homes are designed and printed with minimal human intervention.

For Lib Work, the project is not just about meeting demand for sustainable housing but also about redefining what a house can look like. By allowing complex shapes and organic curves, the technology breaks free from conventional “box” designs. As the company put it on its website, “This is not just a house, but a challenge to rethink the very way we live.”

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?

The practical impact of this development is likely to depend on how well the technology can scale while keeping costs under control. If Lib Work succeeds in its ambition to mass-produce these homes, it could provide a blueprint for cutting carbon in an industry that has been notoriously slow to change. A cement-free process that is both structurally sound and officially approved by regulators represents an important shift in thinking. For governments under pressure to hit climate targets, it offers a tangible example of how housing can be reimagined without sacrificing safety or comfort.

For the wider construction sector, the move reinforces the idea that additive manufacturing may become a central tool in addressing labour shortages, resource constraints and the demand for speed. That will be watched closely not just in Japan but in Europe and North America, where housing costs and climate concerns are equally pressing. For UK businesses in particular, there is both a risk and an opportunity. Developers, contractors and suppliers may need to adapt quickly if soil-based printing or similar techniques gain traction, but they could also stand to benefit by taking early roles in materials research, machine development and specialist services to support such projects.

Equally important are the implications for communities. In areas struggling with affordable housing or recovering from disasters, on-site 3D printing with locally available soil could remove some of the bottlenecks of conventional building. However, acceptance will hinge on whether buyers are convinced that homes made from earth can be durable, attractive and worth their investment. Consumer perception, as much as engineering progress, will determine how far this technology can travel.

What emerges from the Lib Earth House is not just a technical trial but a signal of how far construction may change in the coming decades. Soil, long dismissed as an outdated material, has been reintroduced as part of a high-tech system that claims both sustainability and resilience. Whether it becomes a mainstream alternative or remains a niche experiment, the project has already shown that the housing sector is capable of genuine innovation, and that innovation will increasingly be measured not only in design but in carbon saved.

You can now connect your ChatGPT account directly to GMail and harness the power of deep-research and all the other bells-and-whistles to make your usage of GMail (and other Goole services such as you Google calendar etc) as productive as possible.

[Note – To Watch This Video without glitches/interruptions, It may be best to download it first]

Need a quick way to make team decisions without long chat threads? WhatsApp’s built-in Poll feature lets you gather votes instantly—no admin rights required.

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What it’s for:

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HM Revenue & Customs has confirmed it is using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor the social media accounts of suspected tax cheats, in what it says is a targeted approach aimed at tackling fraud and reducing the UK’s tax gap.

Using Algorithms

The disclosure came after recent reports in The Telegraph revealed HMRC was using algorithms to flag suspicious activity online. In response, the tax authority confirmed that AI is already playing a role in its investigative work. Officials stressed the technology is only used in criminal investigations and is not applied to the everyday taxpayer. In a statement, HMRC said AI is being deployed to help staff spot inconsistencies between declared income and publicly available social media posts, while also cutting down the amount of time spent on manual administration.

Spend Less Time on Admin

“Greater use of AI will enable our staff to spend less time on admin and more time helping taxpayers, as well as better target fraud and evasion to bring in more money for public services,” HMRC said in a statement. Officials added that the approach does not replace human decision-making, pointing to what they describe as “robust safeguards and legal oversight” around the process.

Why AI Is Being Deployed

The move reflects HMRC’s broader challenge of narrowing the UK’s tax gap, which in 2022–23 was estimated at £51 billion, or about 4.8 per cent of total theoretical tax liabilities. Of this, around £5.5 billion was attributed to tax evasion. Reducing this shortfall has become a priority for the government, which has promised that more efficient enforcement will increase revenues without raising taxes on working households.

By applying AI tools to tasks previously carried out manually, HMRC, therefore hopes to process large volumes of open-source data more quickly and accurately. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are seen as sources of information because they often show details of people’s lifestyles that may not align with their declared income.

For example, cases have previously been reported where individuals claiming benefits on grounds of ill health were found posting publicly about participation in marathons, or where people declaring modest incomes shared photos of luxury cars and holidays. Until now, gathering such evidence relied heavily on human monitoring. AI allows patterns, anomalies and potential red flags to be detected across thousands of accounts in a fraction of the time.

Integration with Existing Systems

It’s hoped that this latest use of AI will complement HMRC’s wider analytical infrastructure, particularly its “Connect” system, introduced more than a decade ago. Connect draws together information from tax returns, banks, property records and other government databases to flag discrepancies between declared income and observed financial behaviour. Adding automated social media analysis into that mix gives investigators another channel through which to identify possible fraud.

Also To Provide Guidance To Taxpayers

It should be noted that the department has also been exploring AI for broader and less sinister purposes, such as helping taxpayers navigate the more than 100,000 pages of guidance on its website, and summarising customer service calls for advisers. However, it’s the use of social media monitoring that has generated the most public debate, not least because of its implications for privacy, accuracy and accountability.

Efficiency Gains and Cost-Cutting For HMRC

For HMRC itself, the adoption of AI in investigations is positioned as an efficiency gain rather than a cost-cutting measure. The government has already announced plans to recruit 5,500 new compliance staff, suggesting the technology will be used to augment rather than replace human expertise.

Tax specialists have noted that AI could help HMRC by pulling together information from multiple sources far more efficiently than manual checks. At the same time, they warn of potential pitfalls, including the risk of mistaken identity if the technology fails to distinguish between genuine accounts and those that are fake or hacked. Such concerns underline the importance of retaining human oversight in any decision-making process.

Focusing

From HMRC’s perspective, the argument is that automation allows investigators to focus their time where it is most valuable, i.e. complex cases that require judgment, rather than sifting through data for initial leads. The department also points to the potential to secure better returns on public spending, with AI-enabled enforcement expected to bring in billions of pounds in additional tax revenues over the coming years.

The Implications for Taxpayers

For law-abiding taxpayers, HMRC has been keen to stress that there is little to fear from AI social media monitoring. Officials say the tools are not used in routine tax collection or compliance checks, but only in serious criminal cases where there is already suspicion of wrongdoing.

The wider deployment of AI across HMRC’s operations could, in time, make interactions with the tax system simpler for the majority. For example, tools that help people understand complex rules, avoid errors in returns and access relevant guidance more quickly could reduce unintentional mistakes. Tax specialists point out that significant amounts of revenue are often lost through basic errors, and AI has the potential to reduce this by offering clearer digital assistance and more reliable support to taxpayers.

Surveillance Fears

At the same time, it has to be said that the disclosure that HMRC is scouring social media using AI may add to public concerns about surveillance and government access to personal data. Although the posts in question are publicly visible, many people may not anticipate that their online activity could form part of a criminal tax investigation.

Challenges

Not surprisingly, the announcement has not gone unchallenged. Privacy advocates and some parliamentarians have warned that reliance on AI risks producing false positives, where innocent individuals are wrongly flagged as suspicious. Concerns have also been raised that the system could amplify errors if it fails to distinguish between genuine accounts and those that are hacked, fake or misleading. Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch has previously cautioned that the spread of AI-driven surveillance represents a “frightening expansion” of state monitoring, and argued that without strict legal safeguards such tools risk undermining privacy and fairness in the justice system.

There is also a wider political backdrop. The UK government is under pressure over its broader AI strategy, with reports earlier this year suggesting the national AI institute faced internal turmoil and potential funding withdrawals. Against that context, the use of AI by HMRC has become part of a larger debate about how far public authorities should adopt emerging technologies, and how safeguards should be applied.

Some commentators have also drawn parallels with the Horizon IT scandal at the Post Office, in which faulty computer evidence led to wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters. Although HMRC emphasises that human decision-making remains central to its process, critics argue that overreliance on automated systems without adequate checks could carry significant risks.

The tax authority insists that its approach has been developed with those lessons in mind. AI is used to highlight possible leads, but human investigators must review the evidence before any action is taken. Officials have also stressed that all use of AI in this area is subject to legal oversight, ensuring compliance with UK data protection and criminal justice laws.

Wider International Context

It should be noted, however, that the UK is not alone in deploying AI to tackle tax evasion as other countries have already been using similar methods. HMRC has been sending so-called “nudge letters” to taxpayers after analysing international financial data shared under the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard, which tracks overseas income. This AI-assisted approach has contributed to a reported 22 per cent rise in admissions of foreign tax evasion in recent years.

The logic appears to be that as more financial data becomes digitised and globally shared, AI will become a necessary tool for connecting the dots. For HMRC, adding social media monitoring into that picture is seen as the next step in keeping pace with increasingly complex forms of tax fraud.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The real test will be whether HMRC can strike the balance between efficiency and fairness. The technology may promise to sharpen investigations, close the tax gap and support a more resilient tax base, but it also raises unresolved questions about how far government agencies should be able to probe into people’s digital lives. For taxpayers, reassurance that AI will not be used in routine compliance checks will be welcome, but concerns about transparency and proportionality are unlikely to fade quickly.

For UK businesses, the implications may be twofold. For example, firms could benefit from a more level playing field if AI enables HMRC to clamp down more effectively on undeclared income and fraudulent competition. However, there is a risk that legitimate companies could face greater scrutiny or reputational harm if mistakes occur in the interpretation of online data. The safeguards HMRC has promised will, therefore, be critical in maintaining trust.

Other stakeholders, from policymakers to civil liberties groups, will, no doubt, be watching closely. The government has positioned AI as a tool for improving public services and raising revenue without additional tax rises, yet its wider strategy for regulating AI remains unsettled. With memories of past technology failures still fresh, the rollout of these systems within HMRC will be an early indicator of how the state intends to manage the trade-offs between innovation, privacy and accountability in the years ahead.