- MPs are pushing for a review of the use of VPNs
- It is part of a wider debate about challenges facing the Online Safety Act
- It comes just days after the UK Lords proposed a VPN ban for children
MPs consider whether VPN providers should be forced to implement age verification measures to prevent children from circumventing the Online Safety Act (OSA)
In a debate that was supposed to discuss public opposition to the legislation, MPs used the opportunity to argue for stricter rules on VPN use instead.
Many Britons have turned to the best VPN apps since mandatory age verification was implemented in July.
While evidence suggests the majority of these are adults who want to protect their online privacy, lawmakers are concerned children are using the software to evade restrictions designed to protect them.
“We will not hesitate to move forward”
Peter Fortune, Conservative MP for Bromley and Biggin Hill, asked the House: “Do it [the Minister] agree that the use of VPNs needs to be scrutinized in order for the Online Safety Act to succeed?”
Following Fortune’s remarks, Labor MP Jim McMahon argued that VPN companies should be responsible for preventing children from evading controls. “Why aren’t VPNs subject to legislation to ensure they comply with age verification measures?” he asked.
“Presumably it’s harder for the end site to know the user’s origin if they’ve bypassed a VPN. Surely it should be up to the VPN company to comply with the law,” he added.
UK Digital Government and Data Minister Ian Murray assured lawmakers that the government is already acting. As previously reported by TechRadar, Ofcom is currently monitoring VPN usage to assess how these tools are being used.
“We will not hesitate to move forward if necessary,” Murray said.
It is unclear what further intervention might look like, although the debate offered some hints. According to Julia Lopez, Conservative MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, the government should consider “whether age-gating should be applied more widely, including for VPN use or via app stores or at the device level to close these loopholes.”
This follows a move by the UK Lords last week to table an amendment to the Child Wellbeing and Schools Act that would ban VPNs for children. The proposal calls for VPN companies to verify the age of all UK users – a move Winscribe’s CEO called the “dumbest solution.”
While we wait to see how the debate develops, these comments signal lawmakers’ increasing willingness to regulate security tools aimed at increasing the privacy of millions of Britons – both adults and children.
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