'We decided not to limit VPNs': UK government U-turns on age-gating privacy tools

Liz Kendall, UK science, innovation and technology secretary, during a Bloomberg Television interview at the London Tech Week exposition in London, UK, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

• The UK government confirmed it will not limit VPNs
• Data reveals only 7-10% of teenagers use a VPN to bypass age checks
• Social media curfews, autoplay restrictions were also announced

The UK government has officially scrapped the idea of restricting virtual private networks (VPNs) to enforce its impending social media bans, delivering a massive victory for digital privacy advocates.