Starmer to add VPNs to UK’s “social media ban”

In a statement yesterday, the office of the British Prime Minister announced plans to broaden the scope of the “social media ban” for minors that would see virtual private networks (VPNs) included in the future.

Speaking to “parents and carers” today, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to “make clear this government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.”

He will also be announcing potential “new powers” which will come into force after a “consultation” this summer.

The reference to VPNs is a single line in a long statement:

…as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections…

…but it should be the most concerning to anyone who has been paying attention.

It has been said a thousand times, but always bears repeating, the “social media ban” deployed in the UK (and Australia, and Spain and…wherever) has nothing to do with protecting children, and everything to do with the state’s war on privacy.

Banning children from social media effectively means everyone who isn’t a child has to prove their age, which means verifying with ID or biometrics.

It’s a dagger to the heart of online privacy and anonymity, and that very much is the point.

VPNs offer an easy way of circumventing age-verification measures imposed by tyrannical governments worldwide, so it’s not surprising in the least that those same governments are rushing to close that loophole.

What would “restricting or limiting children’s VPN use” really mean, in practical terms?

The same as the social media ban.

The only way it can work is by adding identity verification to any VPN software – free or paid – you can download and install. Not just for the account holder, but for every user who shares the account and every device on the account.

It would effectively kill the entire point of having the VPN in the first place.

It remains to be seen if the VPN companies will cooperate, and it will be highly interesting to see how they react to the news. After all, they are essentially being told to tie their biggest selling point to a stone table and gut it with a flint knife.

And yet don’t be surprised if there is little-to-no resistance from the corporate side, after all there has been almost none from social media companies in general so far.

Resistance to this is going to have come from the ground up, as per usual, because they are laying building blocks for a digital prison all around us.

As Big Brother Watch said in their statement:

The ability of adults and children to enjoy the enhanced privacy provided by VPNs is a sign of a healthy liberal democracy. Starmer’s latest unfortunate announcement should worry everyone who values such a society remaining free.”

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