VPNs must not face the chop 🚫

Next week the UK House of Lords will debate whether VPNs undermine the Online Safety Act.

Banning or blocking VPNs will shatter security, privacy and free expression in a self-defeating attempt to make the unworkable workable.

Read our briefing ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/briefing-vpns-and-the-online-safety-act/

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #VPN #VPNs #privacy #cybersecurity #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol #ageverification

VPNs protect families, businesses and democracy.

They keep NHS data secure, help parents manage online risks, and give people in repressive states access to news.

Treating VPNs as a “problem” is misguided. Attacking them is an exercise in throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Efforts should focus on educational measures for young people and regulating the age verification industry.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA#VPN#VPNs #privacy #cybersecurity #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol

VPNs aren’t a meaningful threat to age assurance.

⚫ 6–12 year olds are very unlikely to use them, due to technological and economic barriers.

⚫ Older teens already know other workarounds. For these teenagers educational rather than ineffectve technical interventions might be more appropriate.

⚫ Adults use VPNs as they don’t trust unregulated age assurance providers with their personal data.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA#VPN#VPNs #privacy #cybersecurity #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol

VPNs must not face the chop 🚫

Next week the UK House of Lords will debate whether VPNs undermine the Online Safety Act.

Banning or blocking VPNs will shatter security, privacy and free expression in a self-defeating attempt to make the unworkable workable.

Read our briefing ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/briefing-vpns-and-the-online-safety-act/

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #VPN #VPNs #privacy #cybersecurity #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol #ageverification

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws | TechCrunch
https://alecmuffett.com/article/114759
#AgeVerification#OnlineSafety #OnlineSafetyAct #censorship #mastodon #surveillance #vpn

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws | TechCrunch
https://alecmuffett.com/article/114759
#AgeVerification#OnlineSafety #OnlineSafetyAct #censorship #mastodon #surveillance #vpn

VPNs are vital for online safety, but they're now in the firing line.

People have turned to them to protect their privacy, rather than splurge their data to unregulated age verification providers following the UK Online Safety Act.

But they have an important role to guard against predators online.

ORG's @JamesBaker explains why we must resist moves to age-gate this tech ⬇️

https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/dmtYyFMktAE4hhdZWYSzH9

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#VPN #ukpolitics #ukpol #cybersecurity #privacy

VPNs are vital for online safety, but they're now in the firing line.

People have turned to them to protect their privacy, rather than splurge their data to unregulated age verification providers following the UK Online Safety Act.

But they have an important role to guard against predators online.

ORG's @JamesBaker explains why we must resist moves to age-gate this tech ⬇️

https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/dmtYyFMktAE4hhdZWYSzH9

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#VPN #ukpolitics #ukpol #cybersecurity #privacy

End well, this won't: UK commissioner suggests govt stops kids from using VPNs - https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/19/uk_commissioner_suggests_govt_stop/ "Dame Rachel de Souza says under-18s are laughing off the Online Safety Act’s age blocks" they haven't got a clue... #osa #vpn

The cybersecurity wrecking ball is turning to VPNs ‼️

It's dangerous to attack a tool that can help to keep adults and children safe online.

Age-gating this tech for UK users would increase cybercrime and put under 18s at a greater risk of predators.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn438z3ejxyo

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#VPN #cybersecurity #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol

End well, this won't: UK commissioner suggests govt stops kids from using VPNs - https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/19/uk_commissioner_suggests_govt_stop/ "Dame Rachel de Souza says under-18s are laughing off the Online Safety Act’s age blocks" they haven't got a clue... #osa #vpn

Alternatives to Big Tech/Big Data:

Windows, Apple, Google -> Linux (Debian, Fedora, Mint, Arch...)

Microsoft Office -> LibreOffice (Only Office would also work, but the founders are Russian, who knows...)

Google Android, Apple iOS -> Pixel with GrapheneOS, Fairphone 6 with /e/OS, Brax 3 with iode OS/Ubuntu Touch

OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc. -> Nextcloud, MEGA, pCloud, Proton Drive

Outlook, Gmail, etc. -> Proton Mail, Tutanota

Airdrop, Link to Windows -> Localsend, KDE Connect

WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage -> Signal, Element, Threema

Google Search -> Ecosia, Qwant, Startpage, Duckduckgo

YouTube -> Peertube, or as an anonymous YT client: Freetube and Newpipe

Instagram -> Pixelfed
Facebook, X (Twitter) -> Mastodon, possibly Bluesky

Truly secure and anonymous VPN: Mullvad!

This is just a first overview of the most important alternatives for switching. Feel free to continue if needed!

#linux #opensource #freesoftware #windows #endof10 #bigdata #bigtech #surveillance #office #microsoft #google #apple #vpn #mastodon #cloud #grapheneos #iode #ubuntutouch #brax3 #pixel#murena #fairphone #youtube #search

Thanks to @s3phy again for helping me understand another area where IPv6 is broken in Linux desktop networking configuration tools: connecting to a SSH server to create a SOCKS proxy using the NetworkManager SSH plugin. That thing only checks if the gateway address is a valid IPv4 address

I reported the issue here: https://github.com/danfruehauf/NetworkManager-ssh/issues/130

#IPv6 #networking #sysadmin#réseau#réseautique#UX#SSH #proxy#VPN#GNOME#Linux#NetworkManager

Thanks to @s3phy again for helping me understand another area where IPv6 is broken in Linux desktop networking configuration tools: connecting to a SSH server to create a SOCKS proxy using the NetworkManager SSH plugin. That thing only checks if the gateway address is a valid IPv4 address

I reported the issue here: https://github.com/danfruehauf/NetworkManager-ssh/issues/130

#IPv6 #networking #sysadmin#réseau#réseautique#UX#SSH #proxy#VPN#GNOME#Linux#NetworkManager

Age verification: what’s the harm? - https://www.girlonthenet.com/blog/age-verification-whats-the-harm/ good discussion of a very bad and stupid law, particularly the point about existing parental controls #onlinesafetyact #vpn

Age verification: what’s the harm? - https://www.girlonthenet.com/blog/age-verification-whats-the-harm/ good discussion of a very bad and stupid law, particularly the point about existing parental controls #onlinesafetyact #vpn

Today I learned that DeviantArt is blocking VPN access.

Earlier this week, Instagram was blocking it, and now isn't.

Yesterday I couldn't access my online banking without the VPN turned on.

So yeah, I'd say the Online Safety Act is going about as well as any badly thought out government scheme ever is.

#OSA#OnlineSafetyAct#VPN