Petition · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Do not ban children from using virtual private networks
Closed
5,752 signatures
What the petition asks
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.
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.
Timeline
| 23 Jan 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 23 Jul 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
5,752
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Opened
23 Jan 2026
Closed
23 Jul 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 29 Jul 2026.