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UK Kids VPN Use: Privacy Over Pranks
14 Jul
Summary
- Most British children use VPNs for privacy, not age verification.
- Only 7% of children use VPNs to bypass age checks.
- Kids bypass age verification by pretending to be older.
Digital privacy is the main reason British children use VPNs, according to independent research commissioned by the UK Government. The study found that only 7% of children use VPNs to bypass age verification, with content unblocking ranking as the second most common motivation.
Researchers surveyed over 2,000 young people aged 11 to 17. Their findings challenge the justification for potential VPN restrictions, as bypassing age checks ranked fifth among motivations. Kids more commonly pretend to be older or use platforms with weaker verification systems.
This evidence suggests that restricting VPN access may not be the most effective way to enforce age verification laws. The government is expected to release further evidence from public consultations on children's online safety and VPN usage this month.
