VPN providers are not going to start asking for verification so that’s a non starter.
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It really scares me. I don’t want to send my ID to companies I don’t know. I’m 45 years old and don’t think I need to be mothered by the state.
Why isn’t a data protection-friendly solution being sought here?
There is parental control software available; parents could be educated and supported. Perhaps even an internet list could be compiled that is suitable for different kids age groups.
No, instead, governments are relying on total suspicion and total surveillance. In any case, I hope the internet will fight for its rights.
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You won’t and VPN companies are not going to ask for that information. They will simply treat the UK like some other repressive regime.
The VPN industry is worth so much that they literally have money to burn on advanced deep packet inspection circumvention techniques so, the government again will lose with “blocking” in any technical means.
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I’m from germany and EU is planning to implement the same BS as UK. Maybe with more privacy but if it will be private and secure? Who knows?
I hope so. 
Dame Rachel de Souza, chief executive of Inspiration Trust, which runs East Point Academy in Lowestoft, receives an overall remuneration package worth £150,000-£155,000. The Norfolk-based trust runs 12 schools.
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salary/Children-s-Commissioner-for-England-Salaries-E620653.htm
The salary for the Children’s Commissioner for England has been reported as being between £120,000 and £130,000 per year, according to a GOV.UK announcement, though Glassdoor estimates it could be around £144,999 based on employee data. The salary can vary significantly by role within the organization.
So that’s the busywork price the UK is paying for this alone person, not including all the work they’re creating for others.
How sure are you that VPN providers won’t either comply or withdraw from the UK market? The article claims the UK government has VPNs in their crosshairs. They may become reckless/malicious enough to add VPN restrictions when they see their grand “protect the children” plan failing.
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There isn’t much point existing if you have to tie an identity to all VPN accounts whether adult or child. It also opens the door for any other government to ask for exactly the same thing. Something obviously Apple wasn’t keen on either.
I do think this largely Rachel saying some stuff and being completely of her lane.
De Souza wants the government to explore technical solutions with providers to make sure the tools aren’t being used to evade checks.
under-18s are laughing off the Online Safety Act’s age blocks
Being the ex-principal she is, she doesn’t like it when people laugh at her authority.
You’re Either With Us, or Against Us
Not surprising they want to make it such a binary decision.
In the event that the above fails to silence the troublemakers, the UK government has recently been discovered filing requests with overseas companies to delete posts made by UK citizens’ criticizing certain aspects of government policy. A United States Department of State report, criticizing the UK government for degrading the right to freedom of expression, remains stubbornly accessible.
Of course, attempting to silence the State Department would be a truly historic mistake, especially in the wake of comments made by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Last summer Rowley threatened to “throw the full force of the law at people” for unacceptable social media comments, warning that “whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you.”
Widely interpreted as a warning to citizens of the United States, and by extension a direct threat to their constitutional rights, U.S. officials intervened. Congressman Keith Self warned that “harassing Americans will do absolutely nothing to resolve Great Britain’s internal issues” and risks damaging the US/UK alliance.
Full on censorship coming to the UK.
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Then, if their hand is forced, VPN providers may leave the UK market. If this happens, it would be a major win for UK surveillance and censorship. However, what do you think of this possibility?
Another possibility I see is the UK government could just criminalize VPN use by underage people. If this happens, the government and schools would then spread the warning that underage VPN use is illegal. This would stigmatize VPNs and deter would-be underage VPN users, while allowing VPN providers to operate in the UK; another step towards UK surveillance and censorship.
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I doubt that, there are other ways to fight back. For example large US companies are appealing and putting pressure through diplomatic channels.
For VPN providers - they simply can operate outside the UK. It’s not like restrictive censorship laden regimes don’t exist elsewhere in the world.
Making something illegal doesn’t stop it. They then have to prosecute those cases and in the case of minors they will just do it anyway. All very expensive and not very effective. Further it would have the roll on effective diverting resources from investigating and prosecuting more serious crimes.
Come election time the opposition will be very happy to point out what a failure the existing government was, should it ever take that route and not be dropped.
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Thankfully, no government is like this 
While Japan is safe from both encryption and age verification it doesn’t mean things couldn’t change.
To be honest I think that since crime rates are very low there is no “Protect children” justification here not mentioning the rights citizens have here including privacy.
However the biggest problem with Japan is the justice system, the conviction rate is very high and the justice system is to put simply, more unfair than the US so if you’re threat model calls for law enforcement, for that it’s not the best idea. Nothing the last one has to do with privacy but it is important to point out, I’ve seen people who agree the justice system needs to change as thats not helping especially for false arrests.
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