Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools and should not be undermined

Mozilla has submitted a response to the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology consultation on online safety measures for young people. The consultation is considering age-gating VPNs as a way to prevent minors from circumventing age assurance systems under the Online Safety Act. Mozilla argues that VPNs are essential privacy and security tools for all users, including vulnerable groups like activists and journalists, and that restricting young people's access to them is counterproductive. Instead, Mozilla advocates for holding platforms accountable, promoting parental controls, and investing in digital literacy rather than blunt restrictions on privacy tools.