- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says Britain’s teenage ban on social media is ‘unlikely to work’ because of VPN use
- Social media providers are expected to prevent under-16s in the UK from using their platforms
- While digital rights experts say circumvention is easy, UK PM insists ban can be enforced
Nigel Farage said the government’s plan to ban under-16s from social media platforms is “unlikely to work” due to the “mass adoption of VPNs.”
Following the UK Prime Minister’s announcement, the leader of Reform UK took to X to express his skepticism, adding that while “well-intentioned”, the ban will lead to “the introduction of Digital ID via the back door.”
While the social media ban is well-intentioned, it is unlikely to work given the mass adoption of VPNs. It will also mean the introduction of Digital ID via the back door. The correct answer here is handsets for children with limited functions.15 June 2026
Asked whether children should be allowed to use VPNs to bypass restrictions, Keir Starmer told reporters that the authorities “can enforce” the ban.
“I’m not prepared to say that because some kids might try to get around it – and some might get around it – that’s not a good reason to ban it. I just don’t accept that,” he said.
Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and gaming platforms operating in the UK must soon prevent access to all under-16 users. It is expected to enter into force in the spring of 2027.
The ban specifically targets “user-to-user platforms” that enable public social interaction, with messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal excluded from the bill.
Lawmakers are also looking at potential curfews and breaks on infinite scrolling for under-18s, with more details expected in July.
It is not clear how platforms are expected to enforce these requirements, but the announcement suggests that mandatory age verification checks could be strengthened.
Whether a virtual private network (VPN) or similar tool can help children circumvent the new rules will depend on how social media providers decide to implement age controls. This means that VPNs may work with some services and not with others.
VPNs could be used to mask people’s location and trick tech platforms into thinking a user is based outside the UK. However, this is unlikely to work if checks are performed at the App Store or device level.
Social media platforms are likely to know where their users are based because of someone’s past activity. In addition, platforms could calculate a user’s true location using a variety of techniques, including network and SIM card data and in-app GPS tracking.
However, there may still be other ways around the restrictions.
According to James Baker, Platform Power and Freedom of Expression Program Manager at the Open Rights Group, there are a “ton of ways” a young person can get around a ban that don’t require a VPN connection.
He told TechRadar: “Evidence from Australia showed that many young people were bypassing age checks by fooling the facial age rating or borrowing identity documents.”
As more details become available, we will have a better understanding of how the ban will work in practice and any potential solutions.
