Technology Secretary spoke out on Tuesday, June 16, ahead of potential new VPN restrictions. #
Liz Kendall has confirmed a July update is coming over new VPN rules for households in the UK. The Labour Party Technology Secretary spoke out on Tuesday, June 16, ahead of potential new VPN restrictions.
Ms Kendall told BBC Breakfast: "We will make further statements in July about VPNs and further restrictions." It comes as ministers have embarked on a concerted lobbying operation to prevent a backlash from the Trump administration to the under-16s social media ban announced by Keir Starmer.
Ms Kendall said: “I said I’d come back in July with a further statement around VPN but also additional measures we want to look at, further restrictions on AI chatbots that parents have found very worrying, more overnight curfews or breaks in doomscrolling for 16 and 17 year olds.
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“So yesterday’s announcement was the first of the measures and the reason we have done that is the sooner we make a decision on the main question of the ban, the sooner we can get it through Parliament and the sooner it will come into practice.
“Because many families are desperate for this to happen and I listen particularly to bereaved families that say the longer we delay this, the more children are put at risk. And I took that very seriously.”
One viewer replied to the update from Ms Kendall, the former Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) boss, saying: "I told people they'd come for VPN's, they called me a madman!"
"But but... think about children!!!", a second said, writing: "Ok now serious, does anyone know what they could do with VPN? Ban it? Like what tech stands behind VPN and what would be the wider spectrum of any action taken against VPN."
A third said: "Politicians and ministers in particular shouldn’t be able to appear and promote issues like this without an expert present to challenge, clarify, and offer explanations."
Another said: "VPN's are used in homes and businesses, mod, government. For instance in a public place if you are using your phone the best way to secure it and the data held on it, is to switch on your VPN.
"So how exactly do they supposed they will restrict them? Why are MP's and Civil servants proposed to be exempt?"