I got a quick response from Layla Moran MP on my note via the Open Rights Group on government amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which will give ministers the powers to restrict any 'Internet services' without having to pass a new law.
She says:
Dear Ray
Thank you for writing to me and setting out your concerns regarding regulation
of VPNs so clearly.
The Liberal Democrats deeply care about protecting children and vulnerable
people online. But proposals to restrict or ban VPNs for children under 18
raise serious concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.
We believe that VPNs are an important privacy tool used by people to keep their
data safe. We know already that some schools use VPNs, as do many
businesses. There is a risk that banning VPNs would make children even less
safe online by exposing their personal details to bad actors. We therefore
cannot support a blanket ban on VPNs for under-18s.
Instead, we want to see solutions that work to protect children online,
starting with the platforms themselves.
That is why we would introduce a film-age rating approach to regulate the
online world, with effective privacy preserving age assurance, and a default
ban on harmful social media for under-16s. We have also been calling on the
Government to raise the age at which big tech companies can collect children’s
data from 13 to 16.
The Liberal Democrats would further introduce a Digital Bill of Rights to
safeguard privacy, free expression, and protection against online harms to
ensure that online regulation works for people, not against them.
We believe online safety legislation must hold the tech sector accountable for
harms they have failed to police. So we have been calling for the creation of a
new Online Crime Agency to effectively tackle illegal content and activity
online, such as personal fraud, revenge porn and threats and incitement to
violence on social media.
As Liberal Democrats we believe that any approach must be properly scrutinised
to ensure it is effective and safeguards personal privacy.
Please be assured that we will continue to advocate for policies that balance
online safety with digital rights.
Layla
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