VPN ban update for UK households as government looks at 'age-gate'

The UK government says it will reveal more in July about how under-16 social media limits could work alongside possible checks on VPNs — tools people use to hide their location or browse more privately. Ministers insist they are still weighing privacy concerns, while Ofcom says it needs more evidence on what would actually work. But online? The crowd has already delivered its verdict, and it is loud, sarcastic, and deeply unimpressed.

The biggest mood in the comments is pure “you cannot be serious” energy. One reader instantly dubbed it “The great firewall of UK,” comparing the idea to heavy-handed internet controls elsewhere. Another all but grabbed popcorn, joking that there are few things more thrilling than watching a government try to block online access while assuming “geeks won’t find ways around such.” In other words: if ministers thought this would stop teenagers, the internet thinks it may just create a whole new generation of networking nerds. One of the funniest digs? A commenter quipped that kids might have to learn the basics of the internet just to watch porn — and end up hooked on tech instead.

The sharpest drama came over government research. When Liz Kendall said more research had been commissioned because she wasn’t happy with the evidence, critics pounced, with one commenter sneering that this sounded like: if the evidence doesn’t fit, just go find some that does. Others pushed a tougher line, saying big platforms should face huge payouts if children still get access. So yes, the policy is still forming — but in the court of public opinion, this is already a full-blown privacy panic meets meme festival.