Andy Burnham has confirmed that new VPN rules are likely under his premiership as he continues to support Sir Keir Starmer's under-16 social media ban. The Labour Party government is hinting at new VPN restrictions to prevent young people from bypassing the ban.
Details of the VPN Restrictions
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall previously told the BBC that an update on VPN restrictions would be coming in July. A spokeswoman for Mr Burnham told Birmingham Live: "Andy is committed to keeping kids safe online, and has been vocal in his support of age restrictions for kids using social media. He knows this ban is a critical first step to keeping kids safe online and preventing further tragedies for families. The task now is to build on the consensus across political parties to make sure it’s enforced in full, and delivered with the urgency this issue demands."
Concerns Over VPN Bypass
Concerns have been raised about whether under-16s will be able to bypass the restrictions by using a VPN. On the search data, Richy George, chief revenue officer at IT-AMG, told City AM: "Within hours of the ban being confirmed, the nation’s teenagers appear to have been Googling how to get around it rather than disengaging from social media altogether."
Government Consultation and Next Steps
Baroness Liz Lloyd said there is "limited evidence on children’s use of VPNs," and has stated that the government has no plans to ban them. However, the government did launch a consultation to "confront the full range of risks children face online." This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age-restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent.
