- UK proxy use has grown as VPNs face potentially tighter rules and restrictions
- Specialist proxies give businesses flexibility, location accuracy, and resilience compared with VPNs
- British firms are adopting proxies across eCommerce, finance, and marketing
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, they’re choosing what actually works best for them, whether that’s 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 they’re also making more informed, strategic choices,” said Gabriele Verbickaitė, 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. It’s no longer just about staying private – performance and reliability are now just as important,” said Vaidotas Juknys, Head of Commerce at Decodo.
