As a court rules that social media platforms are harmful and addictive, new bans are considered, and VPN use is sure to rise

Since its arrival in the early mid-2000s, many of us (myself included) just took social media for granted as a harmless communication tool. However, since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, more and more people are becoming aware of the harm that the likes of Facebook and Instagram have done, and continue to do to this day. These sorts of things are exactly why VPN use has grown in recent years.

Most recently, a court case has found that both Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) and YouTube are guilty of knowingly creating an addictive product, which has ended up harming people. This case was based on a specific individual who had been using both YouTube and Instagram since before they were 10 years old, and was found to have experienced a number of mental health problems as a consequence, though both Meta and YouTube continue to dispute this.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the House of Lords has pushed once again for a social media ban to be rolled out for people under the age of 16. In light of this new ruling, it's easy to understand why. There's so much awful content on these platforms that can radicalise, traumatise, or otherwise mentally harm children (and, indeed, adults) who use them regularly, with algorithms designed to display content that will be most likely to get a reaction out of somebody - and usually a negative one.

As I said when the Australian social media ban was introduced, I don't think this is the right approach to solving the problem. I believe, based on my own experiences and the experiences of a lot of people I'm close to, that social media has a lot of good to offer when used properly, and the best path would be to introduce a properly moderated online safe space for children and young people - but that requires a lot more effort than a simple ban.

Regardless of how you feel, it's worth thinking about a VPN. The reason that social media algorithms are able to get people addicted so easily, and show them exactly the content that will elicit a reaction, is that they have an enormous profile of every user, with data drawn from every available source - from Google searches to chat histories. By encrypting your data with a VPN, you limit the information that these platforms can use against you. After all, if you need to use a platform that you know is trying to manipulate you because it's important for your job or social life, wouldn't it be better to limit what it can see about you?

Meanwhile, if you happen to live in a country where a ban goes ahead, you'll find yourself having to provide proof of ID if you want to continue using it. Considering there are already examples of this type of data leaking, it makes sense that a lot of people are wary about uploading such sensitive information just for social media. It's ironic, because in their attempts to make the internet safer for young people, governments have ended up making it less private (and therefore less safe) for everyone.

Check out our list of the best VPN services if you're thinking of getting one, but really NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN are all great choices (and Nord is our favorite).