Featured

Will the UK really ban VPNs? Threat causes free VPN downloads to SURGE

VPN downloads have skyrocketed nationwide in the wake of the Online Safety Act coming into force on July 25, 2025. The legislation requires websites, streaming services, and mobile apps that host adult content to use strict age verification checks to ensure visitors are over 18 years old.

Since VPNs let you manually spoof your IP address, making it appear as if you’re accessing the internet from outside of the UK — and outside the jurisdiction of the Online Safety Act — it’s possible to bypass the age verification checks. This is because platforms have only set these live in the UK, with those accessing adult websites in France and the United States unaffected by the latest shake-up, for example.


It’s currently legal to download and install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the UK, with many of the brands behind the best VPN deals reporting massive spikes in downloads in recent weeks. Free VPNs, despite not being recommended by security experts, have also enjoyed a healthy increase in downloads.

At the time of writing, 5 of the 10 most downloaded free apps on the Apple App Store are VPNs.

Peter Kyle MP\u200b

Labour MP Peter Kyle is leading the Government’s efforts to safeguard children online by requiring a strict age check to acess adult content in the UK

|

PRESS ASSOCIATION

Google searches for VPN-related terms have increased by 700% since the Online Safety Act.

With record numbers of Brits turning to VPNs in the wake of these robust age verification checks, there has been debate around whether UK authorities could end up banning their use. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle insists there is currently no plan within Government to block VPNs.

However, Mr Kyle did admit that Downing Street was looking “very closely” at how VPNs are being used. “Some people are finding their way round [the legislation],” he admitted in an interview with Sky News.

“For everybody who’s out there thinking of using VPNs, let me just say to you directly — verifying your age keeps a child safe, keeps children safe in our country. So, let’s just not try and find a way around,” he told the BBC. “I just want to urge caution in how people are using them.”

screenshot of the Apple App Store ranking showing the number of VPNs availableiPhone and iPad owners have raced to download VPNs from the App Store, sending multiple providers skyrocketing up the charts in the UK …a phenomeon that’s not replicated anywhere else in the world, suggesting its all down to the introduction of the Online Safety Act | APPLE APP STORE

Would a VPN ban even work in the UK?

Experts believe enforcement of an outright ban would prove pretty challenging. Specialist Graeme Stewart from Tel Aviv cybersecurity firm Check Point describes potential prohibition as “like banning people from smoking in their own homes – you might not like it, but good luck enforcing it.”

The only countries that currently prohibit citizens from using VPNs include North Korea, China, Russia, Iraq and the UAE – hardly the sort of company the UK usually keeps when it comes to new legislation.

Not only that, but the technical implementation of a VPN ban would require deep-packet inspection of internet traffic, similar to China’s Great Firewall approach. Harry Halpin from privacy tool Nym warns this would necessitate purchasing censorship technology from authoritarian regimes.

Businesses could suffer too, as corporate VPNs are often a requirement for secure remote working.

Any prohibition risks transforming Britain into what Mr Halpin calls a “digital pariah state”, potentially driving technology companies away. Let’s not forget, there are many legitimate uses for these clever applications. Companies like Microsoft and Google have previously offered a VPN that offered this level of encryption when heading online.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) work by creating an encrypted tunnel for all of your online traffic. When you activate a VPN, any data transmitted between your device and the website or online service is routed via the provider’s servers.

illustration showing how vpn encryption works to enhance privacy and unblock streaming services across the worldVPNs work by encrypting all of your online traffic before it’s sent over the internet. This prevents your ISP, advertisers, hackers, and fraudsters from tracking your online activity, stealing your personal data, or placing restrictions on you | SURFSHARK PRESS OFFICE

The encryption scrambles your data into an unreadable format, preventing third parties from monitoring your activity. It stops advertisers, broadband providers, and Governments checking what you’ve been up to online.

If you’re aged over 18 and have concerns about the privacy implications of complying with the new age verification checks and uploading photographs of your passport, providing a facial scan, or entering your credit card details into a website, VPNs could be a good alternative. The Age Verification Providers Association reports an additional five million daily age checks across Britain, raising questions about the sheer amount of data, and the potential for breaches.

But be careful — not all VPNs are created equally.

There are risks associated when downloading an unvetted VPN, especially one that offers access to all of the encryption without charging you a subscription. If you’re considering a free service without paid tiers or restrictions, you should question their revenue source. Certain VPN brands have faced regulatory complaints over the years for sharing personally identifiable data with advertisers, whilst others lack transparent privacy policies or physical addresses.

Research indicates that 38% of VPN applications on Android contained malware, whilst some providers openly acknowledge selling users’ residential IP addresses as proxy servers. Yikes.

Security experts warn that malicious VPNs can harvest your browsing data, expose you to cyberattacks, or function as malware distribution channels, potentially leaving you more vulnerable than browsing without protection.

Cybersecurity experts have raised alarms about free VPN services flooding download charts. Daniel Card warned these applications are “riddled with issues”, potentially acting as “traffic brokers for data harvesting firms” or exposing users to attacks through poor construction.

Jamie Akhtar from CyberSmart cautioned that “if you aren’t paying in cash, you’re probably paying with your data”, noting some providers don’t disclose data policies or company ownership.

The government maintains you shouldn’t worry about VPN prohibition, with Kyle emphasising that “far more people who are actually there to prove their age in a legitimate way” than those circumventing the system.

In an interview with Times Radio, the MP for Hove and Portslade said that while “a small number of people who will use VPNs, most of them will be adults themselves”, the focus remains on creating a safer online environment for children.

Surfshark: Get 3 months for FREE + 86% off

If you’re looking for some of the lowest monthly bills around, look no further than the award-winning Surfshark VPN. It’s cut monthly subscription prices by a jaw-dropping 85%. Not only that, but Surfshark will also bundle an extra three months at the end of a two-year plan, dropping the effective cost to just £1.89. Surfshark lets you use your subscription across unlimited devices

Surfshark VPN

Proton: Get 56% off your subscription

Proton: Get 56% off your subscription

Created by scientists at CERN, Proton is one of the few secure, trustworthy VPN brands that offers a £0 plan. It’s limited to 5 VPN server locations and a more modest download speed, but nonetheless, it’s a great way to test out the service before you commit to its full-featured subscription. Upgrade to a two-year plan, Proton will slash 56% off your costs

ProtonVPN

Despite the increased awareness of VPNs, the Online Safety Act’s age verification requirements do seem to be working. Websites hosting pornography must now implement “highly effective” age checks, requiring you to upload photo ID, undergo facial recognition, or provide credit card details.

These measures have dramatically reduced traffic to major adult sites. Pornhub — Britain’s most-visited pornography platform — experienced a 38% decline in daily visitors, dropping from 3.2 million to 2 million in early August.

Similar reductions affected other platforms, with XVideos seeing 47% fewer visitors and OnlyFans dropping by over 10%.

Commenting on this drop, GB News host Miriam Cates posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Pornhub visits down more than 1 million per day. Thats a lot fewer people – including children – watching women being treated like dirt.”

A government spokesperson said: “We make no apology for holding platforms to account, to ensure they prevent children from bypassing safety protections. This includes blocking content that promotes VPNs and other workarounds, when they are aimed specifically at young users. More broadly, there are a range of legitimate reasons why adults might use VPNs which do not cut across children’s safety online.”

Source link

Related Posts

1 of 23