Blocking VPNs with age-checks will ‘undermine privacy and security’, Mozilla blasts
Blocking VPNs with age-checks will ‘undermine privacy and security’, Mozilla blasts
https://www.gbnews.com/tech/vpns-age-checks-mozilla-firefox-response
Publish Date: 2026-05-19 10:44:00
Source Domain: www.gbnews.com
Mozilla has fired a warning shot at UK regulators, urging them to keep their hands off Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The US non-profit, best known for making the web browser Firefox, has submitted a formal response to the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology’s recent consultation on age-restricting VPNs. In a public submission, Mozilla wrote that age-restricting VPNs “would undermine the privacy and security of all users” and “would be technically unenforceable and counterproductive.”
The organisation argued that limiting access to VPNs could ultimately expose younger users to greater online risks rather than shielding them from harm. Mozilla continued: “Restricting young people’s access to these tools would therefore work directly against their privacy and safety online. It would remove a layer of protection from precisely the users the Government is seeking to protect, while doing nothing to address the platform conduct that generates harm in the first place. The protections children need are protections from the platforms collecting their data, not restrictions on the tools they use to shield themselves from that collection.”
Mozilla launched a built-in VPN feature directly inside Firefox for UK desktop users in March 2026
|
FIREFOX
The Government’s consultation follows the UK Government’s roll-out of the Online Safety Act last summer — adding strict age verification barriers to thousands of popular websites, forums, and social media services. Britons must verify their age by providing a passport scan, a facial scan, or entering credit card details.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the government is “laying the groundwork for further action,” though any major changes like mandatory age checks for VPN providers will still need Parliament’s approval before becoming law.
For those who don’t know, VPNs use military-grade encryption to hide the websites that you visit — as well as the amount of time spent on them.
However, Mozilla argues this…
