The UK government is set to announce new regulations on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in July as part of its under-16 social media ban. While no specific plans have been detailed, ministers have confirmed that further information regarding VPN use will accompany the ban.
Children's Minister Discusses Age-Gating VPNs
Children's minister Josh MacAlister told the BBC that there were "options there about whether we could age-gate VPN use, which would be really welcome." This comes as the government seeks to prevent young people from bypassing social media restrictions.
Ofcom's Role and Privacy Considerations
Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has informed the government that "we have more work to do to understand the effectiveness and accessibility of different methods, the availability of identity and age attributes at 16, and the privacy considerations of different existing and emerging methods."
Tech Secretary Calls for Stronger Enforcement
Technology secretary Liz Kendall told Nick Ferrari on LBC that the regulator needed to strengthen its enforcement powers and strategy amid concerns that companies are not being effectively punished for breaking online safety rules. Ms Kendall said: "We need to make sure that if fines are given and they're not paid, we have to take it to the next step."
Teenagers Already Searching for Workarounds
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 on Online Risks
Baroness Liz Lloyd noted there is "limited evidence on children's use of VPNs" and stated the government has no plans to ban them outright. However, the government launched a consultation to "confront the full range of risks children face online." This includes examining restrictions on children's use of AI chatbots and options to age-restrict or limit children's VPN use where it undermines safety protections, as well as changing the age of digital consent.
Kendall Promises July Statement
Ms Kendall told Nick Ferrari: "I told MPs yesterday I'm going to come back to the House with a statement on the issue of VPNs in July. There are very strong views on both sides of this. For some people, it is about privacy, and it is the ability to use that is really held strongly by people. And for others, they say they should be banned because kids are using them to get around. Yes. And so I— the main thing that we've done is we've commissioned additional research on this because I've not been happy with the evidence."
