Advocacy: UK Government Confirms It Will Not Restrict VPNs

The Internet Society is celebrating a significant advocacy win in the United Kingdom, where the government has confirmed that it does not plan to ban or age-gate virtual private networks (VPNs).

Over the past year, VPNs became a growing focus of policy discussions in the UK as lawmakers explored ways to protect children online. Following the introduction of age verification requirements for certain online platforms and wider debates about youth access to social media, some policymakers argued that VPNs should be restricted or subjected to age verification requirements.

We were concerned that such measures would undermine an important tool that helps to protect people’s privacy and security online. VPNs are widely used by individuals, businesses, and organizations around the world to safeguard communications, improve cybersecurity, and access the Internet securely.

Evidence Based Advocacy

To help ensure that policymakers understood the vital role VPNs play, we worked alongside the Internet Society UK Chapter, civil society organizations, encryption advocates, including the Global Encryption Coalition (GEC), and industry partners to raise awareness of the risks posed by potential VPN restrictions. Our efforts included contributing to GEC advocacy efforts, signing joint letters, responding to government consultations, engaging with VPN providers, and developing resources to inform both policymakers and our community. These collective efforts helped ensure that the debate considered the broader implications of restricting VPNs, including the impact on privacy, cybersecurity, civil liberties, and legitimate online activity.

Concerns Acknowledged

Last month, an open letter signed by the Internet Society, the Internet Society UK Chapter, and other stakeholders received a personal response from Kanishka Narayan, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

In his response, he stated that the UK is “not banning or age gating VPNs” and acknowledged the concerns raised by stakeholders regarding privacy, cybersecurity, business impacts, civil liberties, and the legitimate uses of VPN technology. He also acknowledged that VPNs are not the primary means by which children circumvent age assurance measures, and that the government intends to consider circumvention issues more broadly rather than targeting VPNs specifically.

Essential Tools Remain Available

This outcome represents an important victory for Internet users in the UK and demonstrates the value of coordinated, evidence-based advocacy. It also provides a positive example for policymakers in other countries, where similar proposals affecting VPNs, encryption, and online privacy continue to emerge.

By working together with partners across civil society, industry, and the technical community, we helped ensure that essential cybersecurity tools remain available to everyone who relies on them to stay safe online.