Hands off our VPNs, privacy groups tell UK ministers

Mozilla, Proton, Tor warn ministers that targeting the tech risks creating more problems than it solves

Privacy campaigners, browser makers, and VPN providers have united to warn the UK government against restricting virtual private networks, saying age-gating the technology would weaken online security while doing little to stop kids dodging social media bans.

The Open Rights Group on Tuesday published an open letter signed by more than 20 organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, ExpressVPN, the Internet Society, Mozilla, Mullvad, Proton, and the Tor Project.

It urges ministers to rule out age verification and other restrictions on VPN services.

The coalition argues that VPNs have become important infrastructure for a broad range of users, from businesses and journalists to abuse survivors and ordinary users trying to protect themselves on public Wi-Fi. Requiring users to prove their age would undermine the privacy VPNs are intended to provide.

"Restricting VPNs would undercut...

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