The Online Safety Act and VPNs: What UK Users Need to Know

Published 6 February 2026 · by VPN Free UK

The Online Safety Act is the most significant piece of internet regulation the United Kingdom has ever introduced. Since receiving Royal Assent in October 2023 and entering phased enforcement throughout 2024 and 2025, the Act has reshaped the obligations of online platforms and altered the digital experience for millions of UK internet users. For anyone concerned about online privacy, understanding the Act and the role VPNs can play within it is essential.

This guide explains what the Online Safety Act covers, how it affects your daily internet use, and where a VPN fits into the picture, including what it can and cannot protect you from.

What the Online Safety Act Actually Covers

The Online Safety Act places a duty of care on platforms that host user-generated content or allow people to communicate online. This includes social media services, messaging apps, search engines, forums, and any website that permits user interaction. The legislation requires these platforms to proactively identify and remove illegal content, protect children from harmful material, and give adult users greater control over the content they see.

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has been given enforcement powers to ensure compliance. Platforms that fail to meet their obligations face substantial fines of up to ten percent of their global annual revenue or, in extreme cases, can be blocked from operating in the UK entirely. The Act also introduced new criminal offences for sharing certain types of content, including intimate images shared without consent and content that encourages self-harm.

A particularly controversial element of the Act is its stance on encrypted messaging. Section 122 gives Ofcom the power to require platforms to use accredited technology to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material. Privacy advocates and technology companies, including Signal and Apple, have argued that this effectively mandates the weakening of end-to-end encryption, a position the government disputes.

Age Verification and Its Privacy Implications

One of the most visible changes brought about by the Act is the requirement for websites hosting pornographic content to implement robust age verification. Ofcom has outlined various methods that platforms can use, including identity document checks, credit card verification, facial age estimation technology, and digital identity wallets.

Each of these methods requires users to share personal information with third-party services. This has raised significant concerns among privacy experts. Age verification creates a link between your real identity and the specific websites you visit. If the databases holding this verification data were breached, the consequences for affected individuals could be severe.

Several high-profile data breaches in 2024 and 2025 involving identity verification companies have validated these concerns. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has urged age verification providers to adopt data minimisation principles, but the fundamental tension between proving your age and maintaining your privacy remains unresolved.

How VPNs Help Under the Online Safety Act

A VPN provides several layers of protection that are directly relevant in the context of the Online Safety Act. First and most importantly, a VPN encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server. This prevents your internet service provider from seeing which websites you visit, which means your ISP cannot build a browsing profile linked to your account.

Under the Investigatory Powers Act, which works alongside the Online Safety Act, ISPs are required to retain Internet Connection Records for twelve months. A VPN effectively makes these records useless by replacing the list of websites you visit with a single connection to a VPN server.

Second, a VPN masks your real IP address. When you access websites, they see the IP address of the VPN server rather than your home connection. This makes it significantly harder for websites, advertisers, and data brokers to track your activity across the internet and link it back to your household.

Third, for UK users who travel within Europe or further afield, a VPN allows you to connect through UK servers and access UK services as normal. This is useful not just for streaming but also for accessing banking services, government websites, and news sources that may restrict access from foreign IP addresses.

For users prioritising privacy above all else, we recommend looking at providers with independently audited no-logs policies. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland and benefits from strong Swiss privacy laws, while Mullvad VPN takes the unusual step of not requiring any personal information at all to create an account, accepting anonymous cash payments.

What VPNs Cannot Protect You From

It is important to be honest about the limitations of VPNs within the context of the Online Safety Act. A VPN does not make you anonymous online. If you log into a social media account, an email service, or any website with your personal credentials, that platform knows who you are regardless of whether you are using a VPN.

A VPN also does not bypass age verification requirements. If a website requires you to verify your age before accessing content, you will still need to complete that process whether or not you are connected through a VPN. The VPN protects the connection between your device and the server, but it does not alter the verification mechanisms that websites implement.

Additionally, a VPN does not protect you from phishing attacks, malware downloaded through email attachments, or social engineering scams. It encrypts your connection but does not inspect the content of what you download or the links you click. Good security hygiene, including using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and keeping your software updated, remains essential alongside VPN use.

The encryption debate surrounding Section 122 is also worth noting. If the government ultimately compels messaging platforms to implement client-side scanning, a VPN would not prevent this because the scanning would occur on your device before the message is even sent. The VPN protects data in transit, but it cannot influence what happens at the application level on your own hardware.

Practical Steps for UK Users in 2026

Given the current regulatory environment, UK internet users who care about their privacy should consider a multi-layered approach. Start with a reputable VPN that has a verified no-logs policy and strong encryption standards. Pair this with a privacy-focused browser and search engine. Be selective about which services you hand your personal data to, particularly when it comes to age verification. Use different email addresses for different services where possible, and consider using a password manager to maintain strong, unique passwords.

The Online Safety Act represents a genuine shift in how the UK government approaches internet regulation. While many of its aims around child safety and the removal of illegal content are widely supported, the implementation creates real trade-offs with individual privacy. A VPN will not solve all of these challenges, but it remains one of the most effective and accessible tools available to UK users who want to maintain meaningful control over their personal data.

Understanding your options is the first step. The legislation is complex, but the protections available to you are straightforward. Choose a trusted VPN provider, stay informed about how the Act is being enforced, and take active steps to manage your digital footprint.