A widely shared online post has claimed that VPNs (virtual private networks) are illegal in the UK.
Evaluation
This is false. VPNs are not illegal in the UK, and there does not appear to be any plans to make them illegal.
The facts
A VPN is a system which connects somebody’s device – normally a computer or smartphone – to a server in a different location. This means that the websites that person visits cannot see their IP address.
It is used by many people for privacy or getting around restrictions that websites put on who can visit a page. It can also be useful for allowing people to work from home and still access their workplace’s resources.
Some countries restrict or ban the use of VPNs. But the UK is not one of these.
After new age verification rules came into force in the UK earlier this year, then Technology Secretary Peter Kyle addressed people using VPNs to get around the rules by routing their request through servers in a different country.
“For everybody who’s out there thinking about using VPNs, let me just say to you directly: Verifying your age keeps a child safe, keeps children safe in our country,” he said during a broadcast interview.
“So let’s not just try and find a way around. Just prove your age. Make the internet safer for children.”
Later in the interview, he said: “No, I’m not considering banning VPNs. That’s not on the cards. I just want to urge caution in how people are using them.”
Links
Microsoft – What is a VPN? (archived)
Norton – Are VPNs legal to use in the UK? (archived)
Gov.uk – Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained (archived)
YouTube – Minister Peter Kyle MP on BBC Breakfast re: Online Safety Act, 29 Jul 2025 (archived page and audio download)
