Baroness Kidron (CB)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 15 September 2025

Debate

Online Safety Act 2023: Virtual Private Networks

Contribution

My Lords, while the introduction of age checking has increased the use of VPNs, we must not automatically assume that the increase is entirely attributable to under-18s. On the contrary, Ofcom’s research suggests that only one in 10 VPN users is a child. The vast majority of children are benefiting from the protection from unwanted and unasked-for pornography that has hitherto been sent to them routinely. However, it is likely that at least some of the increased use of VPNs by adults is the result of a legitimate concern that the introduction of age checks has not been accompanied by a rigorous focus on user privacy. Until privacy is central to Ofcom’s concern, it will always meet resistance to age checking. How many services have been referred by Ofcom to the ICO for failing to uphold users’ privacy rights while performing age checks? If the Minister does not have that information, will he commit to asking Ofcom to provide it and write to noble Lords who have an interest?

More from Baroness Kidron (CB)

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

Partner sites