- Mole “And then?” TV advertising was prevented from airing in the UK
- The outdoor campaign criticizing the TV ban has also attracted opposition
- Mullvad’s anti-surveillance ad was broadcast in Germany, Sweden, USA
Swedish VPN provider Mullvad is known for its staunch privacy stance — and its willingness to be vocal about it. But when the company tried to bring its anti-surveillance “And then?” advert for British television, it was met with rejection.
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the 30-second spot aims to raise awareness of online censorship and mass surveillance. Originally designed to criticize “Chat Control” – the EU’s controversial proposal for mandatory message scanning – the campaign has since been repurposed to challenge any legislation that threatens digital freedom.
While the ad has previously aired in Germany, Sweden and the US, the UK’s advertising approval body, Clearcast, blocked the broadcast. Clearcast cited a “lack of clarity” and argued that mentions of violent criminals were “inappropriate and irrelevant” and could “suggest that the VPN facilitates criminal activity.”
According to Mullvad, TfL forced the company to change its London Underground advertising. The first casualty was a poster with a QR code linking to the banned commercial.
Another design, featuring the Mullvad logo over a Union Jack with the headline “Banned from UK TV”, also met with opposition and was subsequently blocked.
Today we take to the streets with a big “And then?” campaign in Britain, despite facing strong opposition. First, our TV ad “And then?” was banned from British television. And then the outdoor advertising campaign, which was supposed to criticize the TV ban, was largely stopped. Here you can see… pic.twitter.com/n8NZNmvEDO22 February 2026
“In the end, we simply chose to run the message ‘And so?’ as a relevant issue for underground commuters in a nation sliding down the slippery slope of mass surveillance and censorship,” Mullvad said.
The provider noted that unlike the underground restrictions, its above-ground QR code campaign has successfully launched without “resistance so far.”
The battle for visibility moved to the streets of London today as Mullvad confirmed plans to bypass traditional broadcast channels by projecting the banned adverts directly onto city walls.
While the exact locations and times of these guerrilla-style broadcasts remain closely guarded, the move signals a significant escalation in Mullvad’s public protest against British advertising standards.
TechRadar has reached out to Mullvad for additional details and will update this story as it develops.
What’s at stake for Britons’ online privacy?
Mullvad’s persistence in running its UK campaign is a direct response to what it sees as a deteriorating legal landscape for privacy.
“In Britain, mass surveillance and censorship reminiscent of authoritarian countries is on the verge of being introduced; and when we try to criticize this, we are stopped on very vague grounds,” Mullvad said.
Specifically, the provider pointed to the government’s use of the Investigatory Powers Act. In February 2025, the Home Office issued a secret order – a technical capability notice – requiring Apple to create a backdoor to access encrypted iCloud data. The move sparked an industry-wide backlash and prompted Apple to remove the feature from the UK market.
Mullvad also highlighted the ongoing impact of the Online Safety Act and its potential to chill free speech. This has been intensified by the government targeting the “VPN loophole.”
Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed a three-month consultation period to explore options for “age-restricting or restricting children’s VPN use.” While the government is framing this as a child safety measure, critics have called the proposal “an embarrassment.”
It is in this climate, according to Mullvad, that the opposition to its anti-surveillance campaign may be “a sign” of what may come next.
“Europe should be a strong beacon of freedom and rights, rather than moving in an authoritarian direction. Limiting the ability to criticize mass surveillance is unfortunately a sign that things are going in the wrong direction,” Mullvad said.
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