VPNs are under fire, as new UK government survey says 22% of kids are using them

As mandatory age checks roll out worldwide, a survey by the UK government shows that 26% of children have used a VPN in their lifetime, with 22% picking one up in the past three months. 22% of that 26% have been helped by a parent, with 43% of children reporting that their guardians pay for the service.

The primary reason for VPN use is, of course, concerns over privacy. Some have also been trying to watch videos from other countries (region-locked Netflix shows, for example), while others have been attempting to access adult content.

"Location-changing tools are most often used to reach gaming and adult content," the survey reads. Said content makes up 35% of viewership, followed by livestreaming at 34% and messaging apps at 33%.

Additionally, children are consistently seeking out platforms that don't have mandatory age checks, with the survey noting that "the most common types" of sites with no age verification requirement are "online games and gaming communities," with 53% of platforms not needing any checks.

The government concludes by saying that "over half (53%) of children have experienced certain harmful online exposures in the last three months," with sexually explicit content taking the lead, followed by speaking to adults and violent content. The latter two have been primarily associated with videogames, as online multiplayer titles like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty all allow you to interact with other players while also depicting combat. Of course, Minecraft's violence is a far cry from Call of Duty's.

The government has concerns about VPN usage; that much is obvious. The result, however, is twofold. Banning VPNs entirely feels like an impossible task and bluntly, one that would likely be met with severe backlash. Instead, I suspect that we'll see mandatory age checks put in place as part of the purchasing process, as well as tighter restrictions on free VPNs. While this doesn't really fix the issue of adults buying VPNs for their kids, it will mean that those using free services have to ask their parents in the first place, some of which will likely say no.

Right at the very top, the government says that it will use the survey's results "to inform future policy development in this area." Whether it goes the aforementioned ban route, or another one entirely remains to be seen. Either way; VPNs are under the microscope in the UK.