Open Rights Group

"There is little evidence that young people are using VPNs to bypass digital ID checks imposed by the [UK] Online Safety Act."

Age gating them "will have little impact on children's online safety but will deter adults from using them or force people to hand over personal documents or biometric data."

🗣️ @JamesBaker for ORG.

https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/vpn-ban-uk-b2934934.html

#vpn #privacy #cybersecurity #onlinesafety #ukpolitics #ukpol

Could VPNs be banned in the UK? We asked the experts

The government has launched a public consultation into whether VPNs should be age-restricted

The Independent
Mar 13 at 4:01pmWeb
Show threadOpen Rights GroupMar 13

UK MPs have passed an amendment giving the government powers to restrict access to VPNs.

Imposing digital ID checks will turn people away from using a tool that keeps them safe and secure online.

Instead it'll fuel the surveillance-based economy that causes harms.

Sign our petition to protect VPN use in the UK ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-government-protect-vpn-use-uk

#vpn #privacy #cybersecurity #onlinesafety #ukpolitics #ukpol

Tell the Government: Protect VPN use in the UK

Take action! Protect VPN use in the UK VPNs help people to stay private and safe online. Young people use them to avoid harassment, or protect location data. Companies use them to make sure remote log-in to their networks are secure. Journalists, campaigners and whistle blowers use them to protect their work and themselves. But the Government wants to force people to verify their age when they buy a VPN. This will deter people from using VPNs to stay safe and secure online. Why are the government proposing restrictions to accessing VPNs?

Open Rights Group
Show threadpeter (sax) 🌈Mar 13
@openrightsgroup Oh goodness.
If they restrict VPN usage, then I'll have no access to this instance or account.
Show threadExit Code 1Mar 13
@saxifraga @openrightsgroup I could be wrong, but I believe that what they will do is try to age gate VPN apps, not VPN connectivity. If you're decent with computers, you could get a VPN subscription right now, get Linux on your PC, and input the configuration in the terminal without downloading any app. I won't lie, it did take me an hour or so to figure it out at first. If you're not tech savvy get Tor browser or even Brave browser (you can open private windows in Tor mode on PC I think).
Show threadExit Code 1Mar 13
@saxifraga @openrightsgroup Point being, I don't see how outlawing VPNs would work, so I'll assume they will just age gate VPN apps.
Show threadMike TorrMar 13
@openrightsgroup This is scary. I still haven't verified my age for Bluesky because I'm worried about data leaks. I was actually thinking about whether I could use a VPN instead, not for any form of subterfuge but simply because I want to remain safe. How long before there is no way to use the web easily without giving up privacy? It's insane.