The Labour government has pledged to introduce 'robust' new rules on VPN usage by children, following research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The move comes as part of a broader social media ban for under-16s, confirmed by outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Research Findings on VPN Use Among Children
DSIT commissioned BMG Research to survey 2,299 young people aged 11 to 17 on their use of VPNs. The nationally representative sample of 2,029 was boosted with an additional 270 respondents who had used a VPN in the last three months. The research aimed to answer three key questions: how children experience age assurance checks online, how they circumvent these checks, and what motivates them to use VPNs.
The findings revealed that 60% of children had heard of VPNs, and two-thirds of those used one at least weekly. Eight in ten VPN users said it made them feel safer online. Notably, one in five had been helped by a parent to set up a VPN, and nearly two in five children reported successfully bypassing an age check directly—including both advanced checks and simpler methods like tick boxes or entering a birth date.
Government's Stated Intentions
The government stated: 'Understanding the prevalence of VPN use among children, their reasons for using VPNs, and how this relates to circumvention is therefore important for developing robust and evidence-based policy.' It added that the findings support wider work on children's online experiences, including the 'Growing up in the Online World' consultation.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall promised an update on VPN regulations this month, following Starmer's confirmation of the social media ban. The research also found that 10% of all children bypassed age checks by using tools that change their apparent location.
Risks and Harmful Content Exposure
A significant share of teenagers who used a VPN also encountered explicit material. Specifically, 51% of those who bypassed checks encountered at least one type of harmful content, representing 20% of all children surveyed. The most common method of circumvention was pretending to be older.
The government said: 'The findings are intended to support DSIT and Ofcom’s understanding of children’s experiences of age assurance, circumvention and VPN use, and to inform future policy development in this area.'
