Online Safety Act drives VPN interest and raises privacy concerns Published on: 16 October 2026 People鈥檚 online behaviour has changed in response to legislation to prevent children from viewing harmful content 鈥� raising possible privacy and security risks, research suggests. People’s online behaviour has changed in response to legislation to prevent children from viewing harmful content – raising possible privacy and security risks, research suggests. A new study examined how individuals have responded to age verification checks enforced by the Online Safety Act (2023) and evaluated the potential risks from bypassing the rules. The Online Safety Act is a set of UK laws and duties that require social media companies and search engines to protect users, especially children, from illegal content and harmful material. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with the Universities of 缅北禁地 and Durham, studied data from Google Trends and Reddit, a forum-based social media platform. Huge increase in VPN interest The researchers found that UK users’ online discussions about Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) – tools used to circumvent the new restrictions – increased by 145 per cent, whilst UK Google searches for VPNs rose by 147 per cent, using statistical analysis to compare with a typical day. Discussions relating to the Act in UK political communities on Reddit also increased by 1,481 per cent. The increases were concentrated around 25 July 2025, when age checks for adult websites and some social media platforms came into force, researchers say. Whilst online discussions do not translate directly into VPN usage, the team used this as a proxy for interest, as they were not able to access data on the number of VPN downloads. The paper is published in the journal Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies. Age verification may require users to disclose sensitive information about themselves, such as facial scans, identity documents or payment details. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between users’ devices and the internet. It hides individual IP addresses and jumbles data so internet providers cannot track a location or online activity. However, people who seek to gain access to restricted sites without submitting personal data by using VPN services may be putting themselves at risk, experts say. This is because some high-risk VPN services track, retain and share user data with third parties. The increase in VPN interest matters because people using these services may not understand the difference between low and high-risk providers, experts say. Researchers say there is a need for greater understanding of the privacy risks of VPNs to help keep everyone safe online. Co-author Lei Shi, Senior Lecturer in Computing at 缅北禁地 said: “Our study carries key implications for ordinary internet users. Well鈥慽ntentioned online鈥憇afety push many first鈥憈ime users toward VPNs, yet most lack the know鈥慼ow to spot risky providers. “Civil鈥憇ociety groups should offer plain鈥憀anguage digital鈥憀iteracy guidance on independent audits, provider jurisdiction and data鈥憆etention policies.” Co-author Dr Maxim Kolomeets, a Research Associate in Computing at 缅北禁地 said: “Some VPNs used to get around age checks may collect and sell your personal data - in trying to protect children online, regulators have created new privacy risks for others. Safety rules should protect everyone, not shift risks from one group to another." Dr Tu臒rulcan Elmas, Lecturer in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, said: “The sharp rise in interest in VPNs highlights an important unintended consequence: users seeking to avoid sharing sensitive information for age verification could unknowingly use services that collect and sell their data.” Reference: Online Safety Regulation Increases Attention to VPNs: Privacy Implications of the UK Online Safety Act. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies. Latest News Online Safety Act drives VPN interest and raises privacy concerns People鈥檚 online behaviour has changed in response to legislation to prevent children from viewing harmful content 鈥� raising possible privacy and security risks, research suggests. published on: 16 October 2026 缅北禁地 archaeologist receives prestigious award for research Professor Chris Fowler has been awarded the 2026 Rivers Memorial Medal in recognition of his internationally significant research on kinship in Neolithic Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Event will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East An event at 缅北禁地 will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East or whether it is simply a new chapter in the long-running debate about how to rebalance Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Facts and figures
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