Government considered restricting children's use of Virtual Private Networks, according to the UK commissioner's proposal.

The UK government is taking steps to address the issue of underage users bypassing age-verification restrictions on online platforms, particularly pornographic sites, through the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

According to recent reports, the Children's Commissioner's office has recommended amending the Online Safety Act to compel VPN providers in the UK to verify users’ ages, preventing children from using VPNs to bypass protections. This measure is a response to evidence suggesting that since the introduction of age checks under the Online Safety Act, children have increasingly used VPNs to bypass these checks, raising child safety concerns.

The government supports enforcement actions against platforms that deliberately encourage VPN use by children to circumvent age restrictions, including heavy fines and penalties. Platforms are also tasked with blocking VPN promotion aimed at children to protect minors online.

Despite these actions, VPNs remain legal tools for adults, and there are currently no plans to ban VPNs outright. The focus is on preventing children's misuse while respecting privacy and legal use by adults.

The proposed solution could involve amending the Online Safety Act to require VPN providers in the UK to implement Highly Effective Age Assurance. This would ensure that underage users are prevented from accessing restricted content.

The UK government's children's commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has published a report today, urging the government to force VPN providers to build in "highly effective age assurance" to prevent under-18s from bypassing the Online Safety Act's restrictions.

The switch-on of mandatory age checks for commercial porn sites less than a month ago has reportedly led to a surge in VPN use, allowing children and adults to bypass the new digital fences. Early signs suggest that the clampdown is already showing results, with Pornhub seeing a 47% drop in British traffic after the law came into force.

This approach is not without controversy. Privacy and security experts argue that banning or hobbling VPNs could risk collateral damage to everyday users who rely on the tools for security and work. Dragging global VPN providers into the fray could open a fresh front in the ongoing battle over online freedoms.

Some schools rely on VPNs to let students securely access internal systems, exam boards, research databases, and software from home. The impact of these proposed measures on such educational uses remains to be seen.

Watchdog Ofcom has already opened investigations into 34 high-traffic adult platforms serving millions of UK users. The government spokesperson stated that there are no plans to ban VPNs, but platforms using VPNs to evade age checks could face tough enforcement and heavy fines.

A recent report states that more young people have been exposed to pornography before the age of 18 since the Online Safety Act came into force in 2023. More than a quarter of the surveyed 16- to 21-year-olds said they had first seen pornography by age 11, while seven in ten had viewed it before hitting 18.

These developments highlight the complexities and challenges faced by governments in balancing the need to protect children online with the need to respect privacy and maintain open access to the internet for all users.

Government considered restricting children's use of Virtual Private Networks, according to the UK commissioner's proposal.