Fact check: Under the new Big Beautiful Bill, will VPNs be tracked?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the comprehensive analysis of available sources, there is no evidence that VPNs will be tracked under the Big Beautiful Bill. Multiple fact-checking and legal sources examining the bill's provisions found no mention of VPN tracking capabilities ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.

The analyses reveal that the Big Beautiful Bill primarily focused on:

• AI regulation provisions - which were ultimately removed from the final version ^{[2] [5]}
• Budget reconciliation measures ^[1]
• Federal court powers and democratic processes ^[3]
• State-level AI regulatory authority ^[4]

No source analyzing the actual Big Beautiful Bill identified any surveillance or VPN tracking components.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question appears to conflate different legislative initiatives. The analyses reveal several important distinctions:

• Switzerland's surveillance law amendments require VPNs to identify and retain user data, but this is completely separate from U.S. legislation ^[7]. Companies like Proton have threatened to leave Switzerland over these requirements.
• The RESTRICT Act - a separate U.S. legislative proposal - has raised concerns about potential VPN restrictions, but this focuses on mitigating national security threats from foreign technology rather than general VPN tracking ^[8].
• VPN legality varies significantly by country, with some nations having strict restrictions, but this doesn't relate to the Big Beautiful Bill's provisions ^[9].

Tech companies and VPN providers would benefit from clarifying these distinctions, as confusion between different legislative proposals could impact their user base and business operations.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a false premise by assuming VPN tracking provisions exist in the Big Beautiful Bill when no evidence supports this claim ^[1]. This appears to be based on:

• Confusion between different legislative proposals - mixing up the Big Beautiful Bill with other surveillance-related legislation
• Viral misinformation - fact-checkers have identified false claims circulating about the bill's contents ^[1]
• Conflation of international and domestic policies - combining Switzerland's VPN requirements with U.S. legislation

The question may inadvertently spread misinformation by presenting VPN tracking as an established component of the Big Beautiful Bill when multiple authoritative sources confirm no such provisions exist. This type of unfounded claim could benefit those seeking to create opposition to legitimate legislation through fear-based messaging.