- The VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) warns the UK against restricting VPNs
- Group claims treating VPN as ‘loophole’ exposes children to “major harm”
- The consultation “Growing Up in an Online World” is open until 26 May 2026
The debate over children’s online safety in the UK has reached a boiling point. The cybersecurity industry is drawing a line in the sand as a leading coalition of VPN providers warns that limiting access to privacy tools will ultimately do more harm than good.
Anyone who uses the best VPN to secure their web traffic already knows that these tools are essential for digital hygiene. The VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) – an industry-led consortium operating under the i2Coalition, whose members include the likes of NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN – has published a coordinated statement addressing the UK government’s consultation on children’s online safety, warning that lawmakers are ignoring this reality.
The ongoing Government consultation “Growing Up in an Online World” is examining ways to enforce age restrictions on social media. But privacy advocates are sounding the alarm, and VTI argues that limiting access to basic digital safety tools could inadvertently expose children to greater harm online.
This setback comes shortly after we looked into the UK’s online safety investigation and found that the government’s framework largely treats VPNs as a ‘loophole’ to evade age verification, rather than legitimate security software.
VTI’s outcry comes on the same day Proton founder and CEO Andy Yen warns that global age verification will lead to “the death of anonymity online.”
A complete misunderstanding of security
VTI’s statement leaves no room for ambiguity, strongly criticizing the government’s characterization of privacy software.
“Treating VPNs primarily as a ‘loophole’ is a complete misunderstanding of their role,” VTI stated in its response, pointing out how the same encrypted technology used to protect corporate and government networks helps individuals protect their own privacy and security — including children.
“Policies that weaken or limit VPNs risk reducing online security for the very users these proposals are intended to protect, without delivering commensurate benefits,” VTI adds.
The irony of this regulatory double standard has not gone unnoticed.
A recent TechRadar investigation revealed that the UK government spends millions on VPNs to secure its own communications. This, while the House of Lords and regulators at Ofcom are considering further measures that could limit children’s access to the exact same technology.
According to VTI, treating these tools differently depending on who uses them ignores the basic reality of internet security.
Protection of the most vulnerable
For the average consumer, a virtual private network encrypts Internet traffic and masks IP addresses. While this can sometimes be used to bypass geo-blocks, its primary function is to keep personal data out of the hands of hackers, fraudsters, and aggressive online trackers.
VTI was quick to point out that younger generations actually need this protection as much as adults. By framing privacy software as a threat to children, regulators risk removing an important layer of defense for those who need it most.
“Families and young people are also dependent on VPNs,” VTI noted.
“Students use them to access university networks securely from home and on public Wi-Fi. Young people use VPNs to reduce their exposure to tracking, fraud and harassment. Vulnerable teenagers, including LGBTQ+ youth, children experiencing abuse at home, and those seeking sensitive health or counseling information, often rely on internet safety tools to explore online safety.”
As the UK continues to debate how to enforce its online security law, the wider tech community remains deeply concerned. By trying to childproof the web through weakened encryption and restricted software, regulators may end up breaking the very mechanisms that keep everyone safe.
