Senior US officials have warned Britain’s online censorship is beginning to mirror that of Iran’s Islamic Republic.
The criticism from Washington follows a House of Lords vote on Monday backing an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would effectively block minors from using virtual private networks (VPNs).
Senior State Department sources warned the move risked dragging the UK towards authoritarian-style online controls.
“The first step towards any tyrannical censorship is cutting off private access to parts of the internet the government cannot directly control, all in the name of ‘safety’,” one senior official told The Telegraph.
The amendment is not expected to receive the backing of the Government.
A second US official drew direct comparisons with authoritarian regimes, saying: “We always joked that UK child safety will fail because kids will just use VPNs, and the Government would have to accede.
“It’s exactly like China or Iran, if it blocks VPNs. Now it’s basically acceding to that.”
The proposals come amid a sharp rise in the use of private networks across Britain.
Senior US officials have warned Britain’s online censorship is beginning to mirror that of Iran’s Islamic Republic
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REUTERSSince the Online Safety Act introduced age-verification requirements for pornography and other restricted content last year, younger users have increasingly turned to VPNs to bypass the checks.
Platforms including X, Reddit and TikTok now operate age-verification systems as required by law.
VPNs allow users to route their internet traffic through servers based overseas, effectively bypassing British regulatory controls.
Sarah Rogers, the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy at the State Department, has emerged as a leading figure in the Trump administration’s opposition to what it views as foreign censorship.
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Sarah Rogers has emerged as a leading figure in the Trump administration’s opposition to what it views as foreign censorship
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GB NEWSOn Monday, she condemned the Lords amendment as “censorship and surveillance at the lowest, fundamental layers of the tech stack”.
Senior figures within President Trump’s administration have grown increasingly concerned about Britain’s approach to online regulation.
Elon Musk, during his time as a close adviser to the President, is said to have urged Mr Trump to raise Britain’s social media restrictions during trade negotiations with the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer suffered a separate defeat in the Lords last Wednesday, when peers backed an amendment introducing an Australian-style ban on social media use for under-16s by 261 votes to 150.
Elon Musk is said to have urged Mr Trump to raise Britain’s social media restrictions during trade negotiations
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REUTERSTechnology Secretary Liz Kendall later announced a three-month consultation on the proposal, including possible overnight curfews and measures to curb so-called doom-scrolling.
Tensions escalated further in January after threats to ban Elon Musk’s platform X sparked anger in Washington, following the platform’s AI service Grok generating inappropriate images.
US officials warned Washington had the “right to up the ante”, including imposing travel bans on Labour government figures, if Sir Keir followed through on threats to block the platform.
In February 2025, Vice President JD Vance accused Britain and Europe of “backsliding” on free speech, citing the case of pro-life activist Adam Smith-Connor, who was convicted after silently praying outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic.
