UK government lands on keeping VPNs alive, shall "continue to review"

The UK government confirmed on Wednesday, July 15 that it has decided "not to limit VPNs today" as part of a wider investigation into social media amongst those under the age of 16. A recent survey indicated that 26% of kids have used a VPN during their lives.

This follows on from a previous statement made by Technology Secretary Liz Kendal back in June on BBC Breakfast, where she noted that the government would "come back in July with a further statement around VPNs."

Nearly a month later, Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan appeared on the show and addressed exactly that. He notes that "we've engaged very widely with families across the country on the question of VPNs, and one of the big things we heard was that many families feel that VPNs are important to protect their privacy and their children."

He added: "Whistleblowers told us that VPNs are important for them. Minority groups told us that the ability to use VPNs is a really important way in which they can call out for help when they need it."

Citing those as why the decision has been made to not bring in limitations on Virtual Private Networks, "that's the primary conclusion for now." The news segment, shared on the morning show's X profile, ends with the Online Safety Minister stating that "it is something we'll continue to review. We want to make sure that young people are safe on VPNs in particular, and so we'll work with the companies to make sure that's the case."