Do not ban children from using virtual private networks

5,752
signatures
closedDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyOpened 23 January 2026Closed 23 July 2026

Background

We call upon the UK Government to reject any calls or lobbying that propose to restrict or ban the use of virtual private networks ("VPNs") for children, because of the impact this would have on other VPN users.

Additional details

An amendment agreed by the House of Lords proposes an addition to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: "Action to prohibit the provision of VPN services to children in the United Kingdom". The method and implementation would likely rely on 3rd-party facial scans or ID checks, which we believe are invasive. Thus, such a law would cause massive collateral damage for the millions of current users who rely on VPNs for privacy and security.

Where it’s popular

Constituencies with the most signatures on this petition.

Source: UK Government & Parliament Petitions service. Petition ID: 754408.