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In July 2025 the Online Safety Act's Child Safety Duties came into force, requiring online services to implement highly effective age assurance measures to prevent children from accessing harmful or age-inappropriate content. These duties were a major milestone in the government's approach to improving children's online safety.
Following implementation, Ofcom reported that UK daily active users of virtual private networks (VPN) apps temporarily doubled to around 1.5 million. Emerging research suggests that this spike in VPN usage was not primarily driven by child users. We are interested in exploring this further. Findings will inform government understanding, help shape future interventions and ensure the Act delivers its intended protections for children.
To inform government understanding, we want to explore the impact of circumvention techniques and VPNs further. To better understand the prevalence and methods of age assurance circumvention among children, including the use of VPNs.
| Supplier | Identifier | Award Value | Cross-References |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMG Research LTD | 02841970 | £49,500 | DONOR£10K across 1 donation To: Labour Party |
Government spending data: This supplier has received £12,810,478 in 362 payments (over £25k) from Department for Transport, Department for Education, Ofwat, ONS, DBT and 18 more public bodies (2010-06-21 to 2026-06-29). View full payment history →