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TechRadar
TechRadar
Rene Millman

New Zealand denies VPN restrictions following fierce privacy backlash

New Zealand Christopher Luxon Erica Stanford
Education Minister Erica Stanford arriving for the post-Cabinet media conference in the Beehive theatrette, Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand, April 20, 2026.
  • New Zealand's Education Minister denies any plans to restrict or ban VPNs
  • Reports previously alleged it was part of the teen social media ban package
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also confirmed "no plan to ban VPNs"

The New Zealand government has officially denied any plans to restrict or ban VPN apps as part of its upcoming under-16 social media ban, putting an end to intense speculation and a rapid backlash from digital privacy advocates.

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