Skip to main content

mastodon - Link to source

Today we’ve joined over 20 organisations to urge the UK Government to protect children online without making the internet less secure by restricting VPNs.

Child safety and security aren’t competing objectives – we need both.

Read our letter ➡️ openrightsgroup.org/publicatio…

#SafeAndSecure #ProtectVPNs #vpn #cybersecurity #onlinesafety #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol

Children deserve an Internet that is safe, private, and secure. Those objectives should reinforce one another, not come into conflict. Yours sincerely, • Amnesty International • Big Brother Watch • Defend Digital Me • ExpressVPN • Global Partners Digital • Index on Censorship • Internet Infrastructure Coalition • Internet Society • Internet Society UK • lnternews • IPVanish • Liberty • Mozilla • Mullvad VPN • Mysterium VPN • NordVPN • Open Rights Group • Proton • Reporters Without Borders • Stop Killing Games • Stop Killing Internet • Surfshark • Tuta • VPN Trust Initiative
Protecting children online is an objective we all share. The challenge is ensuring measures strengthen child safety without weakening the privacy and security millions of people rely on every day, including children. As organisations committed to a safe, secure, and rights-respecting internet, we are concerned by suggestions that the Government restrict virtual private networks (VPNs). VPNs are cybersecurity tools. They help people protect personal information on public Wi-Fi, enable secure remote working, allow students to access education networks safely, and help small businesses protect their systems. VPNs are essential for human rights defenders and journalists, domestic abuse survivors, the LGBTQ+ community, and others at heightened risk online. The evidence does not support assumptions that young people use VPNs to bypass age restrictions. Ofcom’s research found that only around 3% of children had used VPNs to access content meant for older audiences. Evidence from Australia shows children are much more likely to get around age checks by not being asked, giving false information, or even drawing on a moustache. Restricting VPNs would undercut the security and privacy of millions, without making children safer. Age-gating VPNs would require everyone to surrender sensitive personal information simply to access tools designed to protect privacy. Blocking VPN traffic reliably is technically unfeasible, and risks blocking employers, schools and public authorities using

Joint Letter: Protect VPNs

Dear Secretary of State, Protect children online without making the Internet less secure Protecting children online is an objective we all share.
Open Rights Group
#privacy #cybersecurity #vpn #ukpol #ukpolitics #onlinesafety #protectvpns #safeandsecure
in reply to Open Rights Group

Open Rights Group
mastodon - Link to source
Open Rights Group
• •

VPNs aren’t just for privacy.

They’re essential cybersecurity tools that protect our personal data, help people to work or study remotely, and defend against cyber threats.

Restricting them makes everyone less safe – including children.

Sign and share the petition to protect VPN use in the UK ➡️ action.openrightsgroup.org/tel…

#SafeAndSecure #ProtectVPNs #vpn #cybersecurity #onlinesafety #privacy #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.
Open Rights Group
#privacy #cybersecurity #vpn #ukpol #ukpolitics #onlinesafety #protectvpns #safeandsecure
⇧