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   Denmark scraps controversial VPN ban proposal after public backlash   
      
   Date:   
   Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:25:44 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Just days after proposing a bill that would have made it illegal to use a VPN   
   to bypass geoblocking, the Danish government has reversed its position   
   following a wave of criticism from digital rights groups and the public.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The Danish government has abandoned a controversial legislative proposal that   
   would have banned the use of VPNs to access geo-restricted streaming content   
   and bypass website blocks. The move comes swiftly after the bill drew   
   widespread condemnation from digital rights advocates and the public, who   
   raised serious concerns about its impact on internet freedom.    
      
   The Danish Minister for Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, announced on Monday    
   that he was cutting the contentious section from the bill. "I do not support   
   making VPNs illegal, and I have never proposed to do so," Engel-Schmidt said   
   in a statement . He admitted the initial text was "not formulated precisely   
   enough" and led to a fundamental misunderstanding of its purpose.    
      
   The original proposal, part of a wider anti-piracy effort, sought to make it   
   illegal to "use VPN connections to access media content which would otherwise   
   not be available in Denmark, or to circumvent blocks on illegal websites."   
   This sparked alarm among privacy groups, who warned that the vague wording   
   could criminalize not only streaming enthusiasts but also ordinary citizens   
   using the best VPN services for legitimate privacy and security reasons.   
      
   The backlash was immediate and fierce. As reported last week , critics like   
   Jesper Lund of the IT Political Association described the proposal as having    
   a "totalitarian feel to it" and warned it could go further than measures seen   
   in more authoritarian countries. This public pressure appears to have been   
   effective, forcing a rapid U-turn from the government.    
      
   In his latest statement on the matter, Engel-Schmidt attempted to bring an    
   end to the mounting debate surrounding the proposal. Pressure had been   
   increasing from both digital rights advocates and technology users who feared   
   that the new legislation might inadvertently restrict tools widely used for   
   online privacy and security.    
      
   Addressing the confusion directly, Engel-Schmidt sought to quell the   
   controversy entirely. "I am therefore removing the section about VPNs from    
   the proposal so there is no longer any doubt that I in no way wish to ban   
   VPNs," he clarified.    
      
   His comment was intended to reassure the public that the government had no   
   intention of criminalizing or limiting the use of virtual private networks,   
   which citizens and businesses commonly use to ensure data protection and   
   secure access to online services.    
      
   This reversal is a significant victory for privacy advocates in Denmark and   
   across Europe. It highlights the growing tension between aggressive copyright   
   enforcement and the fundamental digital rights of citizens.    
      
   While the Danish government continues to push other controversial    
   tech-related legislation, including its advocacy for the EU's "Chat Control"   
   bill , this episode demonstrates that public opposition can still force a   
   change of course. The rest of the anti-piracy bill will now proceed without   
   the clauses that caused such widespread alarm, leaving the right to use VPNs   
   in Denmark intact.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/denmark-scraps-controversia   
   l-vpn-ban-proposal-after-public-backlash   
      
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