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   "VPNs are next on my list" - France set to evaluate VPN use following social   
   media ban for under-15s   
      
   France's National Assembly passed a bill that will forbid under-15s from using   
   social media platforms   
      
   France may consider restricting VPNs following its recent social media ban for   
   under-15s.   
      
   After facing questions about the possibility of teens circumventing the ban   
   with VPNs, Anne Le Henanff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and   
   Digital Affairs, said that the ban was "just the first step."   
      
   Speaking to Franceinfo, Le Henanff said: "If [this legislation] allows us to   
   protect a very large majority of children, we will continue. And VPNs are the   
   next topic on my list."   
      
   Why France could restrict VPNs?   
      
   Last week, France's National Assembly approved the first reading of a bill that   
   will stop teens under-15s from using social media.  If the bill is adopted as   
   expected, all social media platforms will be required to verify the age of all   
   their users - including adults - before the end of 2026, Le Monde reported.   
      
   Le Henanff hasn't ruled out further measures to prevent children from using   
   VPNs to bypass the rules.   
      
   "We reached a very important step on Monday [...] we are the first European   
   country to have set this age, 15 years old. This is just the beginning," Le   
   Henanff said, noting that the average age for a child to sign up for social   
   media in France is just eight and a half.   
      
   "At eight and a half, I don't think anyone knows about VPNs, unless they have   
   the complicity of an adult," she added.   
      
   Le Henanff's statement quickly attracted criticism online. French writer and   
   film director Alexandre Jardin compared the plan to those seen in authoritarian   
   regimes.   
      
   "What was treated yesterday as paranoid delirium is now officially admitted:   
   the ban on social media is just the beginning of the censorship of the   
   Internet," Jardin wrote on X.  "The minister is already announcing, without   
   even hiding it, the control of VPNs - just like in authoritarian regimes."   
      
   This isn't the first time VPNs have faced potential restrictions in the   
   country. In 2023, a proposed amendment to the SREN bill also explored the   
   possibility.   
      
   Speaking to TechRadar at the time, Andy Yen, Founder and CEO of Proton - the   
   company behind Proton VPN - warned that prohibiting VPN "would violate   
   individuals' fundamental rights that are central to France and European   
   values."   
   Beyond France   
      
   France is not alone in scrutinizing VPNs following the introduction of   
   mandatory age verification.   
      
   The UK government is set to review the use of VPNs as part of a three-month   
   consultation on children's online safety. This follows a vote in the House of   
   Lords in support of an amendment that would ban VPNs for minors entirely.   
      
   A similar debate is occurring across the US. Michigan has taken the most   
   radical stance so far, proposing a bill to ban not only VPN usage but also the   
   promotion of the technology.   
      
   However, cybersecurity and digital rights experts warn that banning VPNs could   
   ultimately harm both children and adults by stripping away essential privacy   
   and security protections.   
      
   Disclaimer   
      
   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.   
      
   FULL STORY:   
      
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/vpns-are-next-on-my-list-fra   
   nce-set-to-evaluate-vpn-use-following-social-media-ban-for-under-15s   
      
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