Plans for new VPN ban in UK to ‘close loopholes’ online | UK | News
VPNs could be banned for under 18s as UK looks to ‘close loopholes’ (Image: Getty)
Plans for a new VPN ban in the UK have been announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. New age limit laws introduced by the Conservatives, the Online Safety Act, came into force last year.
Following the introduction of the law, many websites and apps were forced to introduce mandatory age checks with ID or face scanning to prevent access from those under 18. This has affected not only adult content sites, but also dating sites and even Xbox accounts, as well as various hobby forums and Reddit communities. VPN use has exploded in the UK since then, and now the Labor government has announced it may crack down on this workaround for under-18s.
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VPNs or Virtual Private Networks are completely legal but allow users to mask their real location online. Many are used in workplaces to create public networks for companies, but more and more people are using them to access age-rated content in order to get around the Online Safety Act.
Children could be prevented from using virtual private networks (VPNs) and restricted from talking to online chatbots under the Prime Minister’s proposals to improve online safety.
The government also plans to consult on banning children from social media and restricting ‘infinite scrolling’, a practice also being examined by the EU.
It follows a war of words between ministers and Elon Musk earlier this year after the Grok AI chatbot embedded on social media site X was widely used to create fake images of naked women.
Before launching the consultation, the Prime Minister said: “As a father of two teenagers, I know the challenges and concerns parents face in ensuring their children are safe online.
“Technology is advancing very quickly and the law needs to keep pace. Thanks to my government, the UK will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online security.”
“Our action against Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.
“Today we are closing the gaps that put children at risk and laying the groundwork for further steps.
“We act to protect the welfare of children and help parents navigate the minefield of social media.”
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Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “I know parents up and down the country want us to take urgent action to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk for their disregard for British laws and British values.”
“We won’t wait to take the action families need, so we’ll be tightening the rules on AI chatbots and laying the groundwork so we can act quickly based on the results of consultations on young people and social media.
“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future in an age of rapid technological change.”
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said the announcement was “more smoke and mirrors from a Government that has chosen inaction on stopping under-16s accessing social media”.
He said: “The Labor Party has said repeatedly that they have no view on whether under-16s should be blocked from accessing social media. This is not good enough. I am clear that we must stop under-16s from accessing these platforms.”
“The evidence of harm is clear and parents, teachers and children have also made their voices heard. While the UK has lagged behind, other countries have begun to recognize the risks and take action.”
