It's mission creep isn't it?

These measures will profoundly impact parental control, digital‑rights, and young people’s ability to access uncensored information. Like many families, I have tried to give my teens the tools they needed to stay safe online while still respecting their autonomy.

Parents should understand that VPNs encrypt traffic not only to protect data on insecure networks such as public Wi‑Fi, they also conceal browsing from trackers and, in some cases, from overly aggressive school filters. If .gov.uk were to ban VPNs, parents would lose a proven method for safeguarding children on public hotspots. VPNs are a widely‑used security solution and a legitimate way to bypass over‑zealous filtering.

I equipped both of my children with a quality VPN, and they turned out just fine. But it wasn't just about VPNs, it was alerting them to all the various threats out there. Teaching them digital hygiene, I guess. I recognise that the government’s aim is to reduce kids' exposure to harmful content but the current proposals would also restrict access to legitimate educational resources and other privacy‑preserving tools.

I'm not completely certain that my approach was correct. I saw it as a balance. Also, I notice that the Green baronesses were split on this.

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/uk-government-targets-vpns-in-new-online-safety-consultation-as-lords-vote-for-ban

#GreenParty #OSA