Mozilla warns UK government against restricting VPN access for children
Published: 18/05/2026
| The Register
In its response to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology consultation exploring further measures to protect children online, Mozilla has cautioned the UK government against applying age restrictions to virtual private networks (VPNs) and related features. The technology company argued that VPNs are essential privacy and security tools that protect all internet users, including children, and that restricting access would undermine online safety for everyone.
Mozilla stated that the consultation proposals risk confusing circumvention tools with legitimate privacy technologies. It noted that evidence does not support the assumption that young people primarily use these networks to bypass age assurance systems.
Furthermore, Mozilla warned that imposing age verification on core internet services, such as VPNs, email, or cloud storage, would introduce widespread data security risks. Alternatively, Mozilla recommends that the government adopt a holistic approach to online safety rather than restricting access to privacy-preserving technologies.
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