Category: Advocacy
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Open letter to the UK Government: Protect children online without making the Internet less secure
VTI has joined 23 other advocacy groups and companies in an open letter to the UK Government, sent to the UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology that an evidence-based approach to protecting children online is the only way to actually achieve that goal. The letter states in part that vanishingly few children…
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New YouGov research finds VPNs are not widely used by children to avoid age checks
VTI consistently asserts that any legislation of VPN access or operations must be evidence-based, and we are actively engaged in several ongoing conversations around age verification requirements. In our input to the UK Government’s “Growing up in an online world” consultation, we wrote, “Any approach should be evidence-based, proportionate, technically feasible, and mindful ofprivacy and…
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Growing Up in the Online World: VTI Responses to UK Government Consultation
The VTI recently took part in the UK government’s “Growing up in the online world” consultation. The questions ranged widely, covering topics from social-media platform age requirements to potential age verification legislation across multiple layers of the the Internet—including VPNs. In our responses, we focused on areas where our member companies have the most expertise…
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VPN Industry Statement on VPNs and Age Verification in the UK
In response to the UK Government’s call for consultation for “Growing Up in an Online World”, The VPN Trust Initiative’s members and leadership collaborated on a coordinated response. In particular we wanted to highlight the grave risks introduced by limiting access to fundamental digital safety tools such as VPNs in the name of child safety,…
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CANCELED: Rightscon 2026 Workshop: The Internet Without VPNs Is Not Free
Unfortunately, Rightscon 2026 has been postponed by the Zambian government, effectively canceling it. Due to this development, our satellite workshop, “The Internet Without VPNs Is Not Free”, is also canceled. The issues driving this workshop remain important to us and to our co-organizers Fight for the Future, and we hope to produce this workshop, or…
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How to Spot VPNs You Should Avoid: A Consumer’s Guide to Red Flags
Choosing a VPN is a trust decision. You’re asking a company to handle all of your Internet traffic. That means trusting them with your privacy, your security, and your safety. Most people don’t come to VPNs as experts. They shouldn’t have to. This guide is written for everyday users who want to know when something…
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Why the UK Should Not Block VPNs to Enforce Age-Verification Laws
The VPN Trust Initiative and the Internet Infrastructure Coalition have published a joint analysis explaining why VPN-blocking in age-verification laws is misguided, technically unworkable, and harmful to online safety and security overall.
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Why VPN-Blocking in Age-Verification Laws Is Misguided, Unworkable, and Harmful
How VPNs are used, why this technology is important to online safety and privacy, and how to pick the right VPN.
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Why VPNs are Good for the Internet—and How to Pick a Trustworthy One
How VPNs are used, why this technology is important to online safety and privacy, and how to pick the right VPN.
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Encryption at Risk: Why Weakening Digital Security Endangers Us All
Strong encryption is a cornerstone of digital security—and it’s under attack by government policies worldwide. Weakening encryption immediately compromises citizens’ privacy, undermines marginalized communities’ ability to communicate safely, erodes cross-border trust, increases compliance uncertainty for businesses. Led by ethical operators in the Internet infrastructure industry, the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) promotes online safety and privacy…