‘We decided not to limit VPNs’: UK government U-turns on age-gating privacy tools
‘We decided not to limit VPNs’: UK government U-turns on age-gating privacy tools
Publish Date: 2026-07-15 11:24:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
- The UK government confirmed it will not limit VPNs
- Data reveals only 7-10% of teenagers use a VPN to bypass age checks
- Social media curfews, autoplay restrictions were also announced
The UK government has officially scrapped the idea of restricting virtual private networks (VPNs) to enforce its impending social media bans, delivering a massive victory for digital privacy advocates.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast today, the government confirmed a major U-turn on the subject, with Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan stating: “We decided not to limit VPNs.”
This was further cemented in a written parliamentary statement by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who clarified that the government will not age-gate or ban the best VPN software because “VPNs have legitimate privacy and security uses.”
The announcement ends fears that sweeping age verification laws could inadvertently break online privacy for millions of adults.
Cybersecurity experts and privacy groups previously warned that restricting these tools would be a disaster waiting to happen, prompting an open letter from the industry urging lawmakers to leave everyday privacy tools alone.
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While VPNs are safe from a blanket government ban, the social media ban loophole hasn’t been completely ignored.
Kendall confirmed the onus will now fall on social media platforms “to take robust steps to detect and prevent attempts by underage users to circumvent age assurance measures.”
To achieve this, the government has tasked Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to report by October on how platforms can…
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