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   UK has "no plans" to replicate Australia's social media ban (yet)   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:16:04 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Australian teens are now locked out of their social media accounts as the   
   under-16s ban goes live. If it proves to work, "we would certainly consider   
   it," said UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   It's been less than 24 hours since Australia's landmark social media ban for   
   under-16s came into effect, and the UK government is already being asked   
   whether it intends to follow suit.    
      
   However, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed today (December 10) that   
   the government has "no plans" to replicate the legislation. Speaking on Sky   
   News , Nandy cited concerns about enforceability and the risk that banning   
   access could "push young people into other places" online.    
      
   However, the door isn't entirely closed. In a separate appearance on BBC   
   Breakfast , Nandy admitted that the government "would certainly consider it,"   
   provided there was evidence that it worked and that young people trusted the   
   process.   
      
   Is age-gating content the right apporach?   
      
   The UK made headlines earlier this year when it began enforcing the age   
   verification provisions of its Online Safety Act legislation.    
      
   Under these rules, platforms must ensure users are over 18 before granting   
   access to inappropriate material. This has impacted a wide range of services,   
   from adult sites and dating apps to social media and user-generated content   
   platforms.    
      
   But the move has sparked backlash. Despite agreeing on the importance of   
   protecting children online, privacy experts and digital rights advocates have   
   strongly criticized mandatory age checks, calling them a dangerous " privacy   
   tradeoff ."    
      
   These privacy concerns have pushed many Brits towards the best VPNs to bypass   
   age checks. Ofcom has acknowledged the challenge that circumvention tools    
   like VPNs pose and is currently monitoring their use .    
      
   Given this cat-and-mouse dynamic, it's hardly surprising that officials in    
   the UK are questioning whether Australia's wide-ranging legislation may have   
   an "enforceability" problem.    
      
   Will banning teens from social media entirely be the next step in the UK? The   
   UK Culture Secretary doesn't seem convinced just yet, but other influential   
   figures are already aligning themselves with Canberra's tougher stance.    
      
    Talking to PoliticsHome, Joani Reid, chair of the Childrens Online Safety   
   All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), said: "The principle of it is a   
   fantastic thing, and if it is successful and implemented well, I hope that    
   the government will look at it."    
      
   We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses.    
   For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms   
   and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and   
   strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone   
   using a VPN service to break the law or conduct illegal activities. Consuming   
   pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future   
   Publishing.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/uk-has-no-plans-to-replicat   
   e-australias-social-media-ban-yet   
      
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