A crackdown on VPNs in the U.K. could spell bad news for web users across the pond.
Britain’s Labour Party is proposing a ban on VPNs in the wake of concerns over their use by minors. VPNs, or Virtual private networks, are encrypted connections to the web that shield a person’s identity, location, and details from prying eyes. This is done by rerouting their data through an alternate computer connection. They are used for a range of purposes, both casual and business related, but concerns that children can use them to circumvent age restrictions are prompting a reexamination of the virtual workaround by telecoms regulator Ofcom. An amendment to the Online Safety Bill, proposed by MP Sarah Champion, could see a crackdown on VPNs in the UK begin within half a year, according to the Independent.
VPNs are regularly used by remote employees, who need access to their company networks, as well as those looking to avoid sharing their identity online. They are also used by web users in places like China, who are hoping to circumvent harsh government restrictions.
Over in the U.S., VPNs are also used to gain access to materials that have yet to come available on American networks. A range of programs and offerings are unavailable to users in the U.S. unless they employ the use of a VPN, and the government’s proposed crackdown would cut American viewers off from a range of Netflix offerings that aren’t available within the states.
How would a VPN ban in the U.K. affect American users?
If the U.K. government chooses to ban the use of VPNs, it will block a range of American users from leaning on the private networks they’ve come to rely on. Web users in the states commonly utilize use of a private network to gain access to the range of programs that remain unavailable to U.S. users on popular streamers like Netflix, and a crackdown would make this practice impossible.
Netflix subscribers outside of the U.S. boast access to several popular programs, including the U.S. version of The Office, Rick and Morty, and Friends. None of these programs are available to Netflix users in the U.S., which leaves a number of state-side fans with no options—other than a VPN—to enjoy them. There are also several programs that are exclusively available in the U.K., including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Das Boot, and Only Fools and Horses, which no one outside of the country can access without the use of a VPN.
If the U.K. decides on a VPN ban, viewers outside of the country will lose access to any of the programs they currently access via private networks. It will obviously have a far more dramatic impact on web users within the U.K., as they work to find alternatives for work, school, and a range of other purposes, but the impact of a ban will have far-reaching effects that stretch even beyond the bounds of the country.
