FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2025 – Washington, D.C. — The Internet Infrastructure Coalition’s VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) today released a new position paper highlighting the critical importance of strong encryption for privacy, security, and trust online.
The paper, “VTI Position & Recommendations on Encryption: Protecting Privacy, Security, and Trust in the Digital Age”, addresses growing policy efforts in the EU, UK, and US that would weaken encryption under the guise of safety. It warns that such measures would undermine digital security for billions of Internet users, expose businesses and governments to increased risk, and create dangerous global precedents.
“Encryption is the foundation of trust in the digital age,” said Emilija Beržanskaitė, Co-Chair of the VPN Trust Initiative. “Weakening it doesn’t make us safer—it makes every citizen, every business, and every government more vulnerable. Our position is clear: strong encryption is non-negotiable.”
The VTI position paper outlines the risks of backdoors and “exceptional access” schemes, documents real-world precedents where lawful access mechanisms were abused, and provides constructive recommendations for policymakers. These include strengthening investigative capabilities that work with, not against, strong encryption.
The full position paper is available here.
About the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI)
The VPN Trust Initiative, a project of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition), is an industry-led consortium that promotes online safety and privacy by improving transparency, standards, and public understanding across the VPN industry.
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