- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says the UK’s ban on social media for teenagers is “unlikely to work” because of VPN use.
- Social media providers should prevent under-16s in the UK from using their platforms.
- While digital rights experts say circumvention is easy, the British prime minister insists the ban is enforceable.
Nigel Farage said the government’s plan to ban under-16s from social media platforms was “unlikely to work” due to the “mass adoption of VPNs”.
Following the British Prime Minister’s announcement, the Reform UK leader spoke to
Although the social media ban is well-intentioned, it is unlikely to work given the mass adoption of VPNs. This will also mean the introduction of digital identification through the backdoor. The real answer here is children’s handsets with limited functionality.June 15, 2026
Asked if children could use VPNs to circumvent the restrictions, Keir Starmer told reporters that authorities “can enforce” the ban.
“I’m not prepared to say that because some kids may try to circumvent this code – and some may circumvent it – that’s not a good reason to take the initiative for a ban. I just don’t accept that,” he said.
Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and gaming platforms operating in the UK will soon have to ban access to all users under the age of 16. It is expected to come into force in spring 2027.
The ban specifically targets “user-to-user platforms” that enable public social interaction, with messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal excluded from the bill.
Lawmakers are also looking into possible curfews and infinite scrolling disruptions for those under 18, with more details expected in July.
It’s unclear how platforms are supposed to enforce these requirements, but the announcement suggests that mandatory age verification checks could be strengthened.
Whether a virtual private network (VPN) or similar tool could help children circumvent the new rules will depend on how social media providers decide to implement age controls. This means that VPNs may work with some services and not others.
VPNs could be used to mask people’s locations and trick tech platforms into thinking a user is based outside the UK. However, this is unlikely to work if checks are made at the App Store or device level.
Social media platforms are likely to know where their users are based due to a person’s past activity. Additionally, platforms could determine a user’s true location using a variety of different techniques, including network and SIM card data, as well as in-app GPS tracking.
However, there may be other ways to get around the restrictions.
According to James Baker, Platform Power and Free Speech Program Manager at Open Rights Group, there are a “multiple ways” for a young person to get around a ban that don’t require a VPN connection.
He told TechRadar: “Evidence from Australia has shown that many young people have circumvented age checks by misleading facial age estimates or borrowing identity documents. »
As more details become available, we will better understand how the ban will work in practice and potential solutions.
