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We decided not to limit VPNs

UK government U-turns on age-gating privacy tools

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A TechRadar news article by Rene Millman, published 15 July 2026. The preserved copy is the rendered snapshot with its .raw.html provenance companion.

The article reports the UK government’s announcement, made by Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan on BBC Breakfast, that it will not restrict VPNs: “We decided not to limit VPNs.” The decision ends a period in which cybersecurity experts and privacy groups warned that enforcing age verification could escalate into restrictions on general-purpose privacy tools, a warning delivered in an industry open letter.

Instead of restricting the tools, the government places the burden on platforms, which must “take robust steps to detect and prevent attempts by underage users to circumvent age assurance measures.” Ofcom and the ICO are tasked to report by October 2026 on how platforms can better detect VPN use for age-check circumvention, and the government plans to engage VPN providers about voluntary measures.

The article grounds the decision in Children’s circumvention behaviours online, the DSIT-commissioned study published the previous day, reporting that 26% of 11- to 17-year-olds have used a VPN, mostly for privacy, while only a small share use one to bypass age checks and 45% simply enter a false date of birth. No, it’s not age verification covers the same study in more detail.

The same announcement package included default midnight-to-6am social media curfews and off-by-default autoplay and personalized infinite feeds for 16- and 17-year-olds, mandatory breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots, and work with the MHRA and DHSC on possibly banning therapy chatbots that give minors dangerous or unverified mental-health advice.

The decision’s policy weight is analyzed in Age-verification circumvention services, VPN service legal risk, and UK Online Safety Act.

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