VPNs are not a ‘threat’ — industry hopes for an evidence-based outcome to UK online safety consultation
Publish Date: 2026-05-28 04:48:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
VPN companies are eagerly waiting to hear the government’s plan for VPN access in the UK following the close of the online safety consultation.
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) launched the “Growing up in the online world” national consultation back in March with a clear goal — gathering evidence and views from parents, organizations, and the wider public on how to make the internet safer for children and teens.
Lawmakers made the stakes clear from the start, noting that VPNs could face age restrictions if the consultation concludes that these tools undermine online safety protections.
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With the findings now imminent, TechRadar spoke to leading VPN providers about what could come next.
VPNs aren’t a threat
(Image credit: Getty Images)
VPNs have multiple functions. While they primarily improve a user’s digital privacy and security online, they can also circumvent age restrictions by masking a device’s IP address.
Surfshark — one of the best cheap VPNs available — recently contributed to a coordinated statement urging the UK government to consider VPNs’ multifaceted purposes.
“Treating VPNs as a ‘loophole’ misunderstands their role and risks reducing online safety for the very users these proposals are meant to protect,” a Surfshark spokesperson told TechRadar.
“While we support efforts to protect children online, targeting tools that are essential for online security is a flawed approach.”
Both Surfshark and NordVPN point out that their services are already off-limits for children, meaning government-mandated age restrictions would primarily impact adult users instead.
That’s why NordVPN Privacy Advocate, Laura Tyrylytė, believes lawmakers should draw a clear distinction between trustworthy and unreliable VPN services.
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