The Labour Party government has issued a "really important" update concerning potential new VPN restrictions in the United Kingdom. The government is currently exploring new rules for VPNs as part of its announced social media ban for individuals under the age of 16.
Technology Secretary Speaks Out
Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, addressed the potential new rules for VPN users in response to speculation on BBC Breakfast. Ms. Kendall stated: "We will come back to VPNs in July; I have commissioned further research about their usage. There are really important issues to balance here. Many people want to use VPNs for privacy—that is important—but we know that some children use them to get around restrictions."
She added: "I will come back to that in July in our response to the consultation."
Petition Against VPN Regulation
Luke Charles has launched a petition calling on the government not to proceed with VPN regulation. The petition, which has garnered 5,000 signatures, states: "We call upon the UK Government to reject any calls or lobbying that propose to restrict or ban the use of virtual private networks ("VPNs") for children, because of the impact this would have on other VPN users."
Luke further explained: "An amendment agreed by the House of Lords proposes an addition to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: 'Action to prohibit the provision of VPN services to children in the United Kingdom.' The method and implementation would likely rely on third-party facial scans or ID checks, which we believe are invasive. Thus, such a law would cause massive collateral damage for the millions of current users who rely on VPNs for privacy and security."
Future Restrictions
Ministers have indicated that they will provide an update on further restrictions, including potential curfews, curbing of "addictive" features such as infinite scroll and AI chatbots, in July. The government, in a press release about its plans for restrictions, stated it is considering "how to determine exactly which platforms will fall under the restrictions."
