‘No plans’ to ban VPNs but ‘nothing off the table’ to bolster online safety
A technology minister said there were “no current plans” to ban VPNs but “nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping children safe”.
Baroness Liz Lloyd warned there was “limited evidence of children’s use of VPNs or virtual private networks” which could help internet users bypass UK internet rules and filters.
He accepted a Lord’s motion to regret Ofcom’s Child Protection Code of Practice, written as part of the Online Safety Act 2023.
The law, introduced earlier this year, mandates social media and search engine companies to keep children away from viewing pornography, suicide, self-harm and eating disorder content online.
It also places a duty on technology companies to exclude some children from accessing “content that promotes hate” and “bullying” materials.
Lord Clement-Jones warned there were “urgent concerns about the implementation” of the Online Safety Act.
The Liberal Democrat technology spokesman in the Lords, who tabled the motion and later withdrew it, warned that the use of VPNs by children was “widespread”.
Lord Clement-Jones added that this “risks rendering age assurance measures ineffective”.
At the same time, “there are concerns that important content such as political discussions, educational sites and information sites such as Wikipedia, and support forums dealing with LGBTQ+ rights or sexual health are being inappropriately age-restricted on social media,” he said.
Lord Clement-Jones said: “We raised this as a major risk when the Bill was passed.”
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told The House magazine this week that the Online Safety Act was a “very poorly thought-out piece of legislation.”
He said: “We will not under any circumstances impose an age limit on Wikipedia, so if it comes to that it will be an interesting showdown because we will refuse to do it.
“What will they do politically? They might block Wikipedia. Good luck with that.”
Following a survey two years ago, the nonprofit Internet Matters found that at least 8% of teens ages nine to 17 use a VPN to browse the internet.
Baroness Lloyd of Effra said: “The Government will continue to monitor the use of circumvention techniques, including VPNs, and future interventions will be informed by the evidence.”
“There is currently limited evidence on children’s VPN use and the Government is looking at ways to address this evidence gap.
“And since there are legitimate reasons to use VPNs, there are no current plans to ban VPN use.”
Baroness Lloyd said she was “determined to strengthen” the rules as Ofcom’s watchdog, adding: “The government has made clear that nothing will be off the table when it comes to keeping children safe, and we will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act in strongly protecting children online.”
