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@mullvadnet@mastodon.online

Post #742211

2026-02-17 17:05 UTC

The UK has announced plans to fast-track legislation requiring “age verification for VPN use”. The correct term, however, is not age verification but identity verification. A law like this would require everyone to identify themselves in order to use a VPN. This would pose a risk to whistleblowers, violate human rights, and represent yet another step toward an authoritarian society.

Replies (36)

  • @mike@sauropods.win 2026-02-17 17:18

    @mullvadnet We will all be outlaws soon.

    Open ##1075918

  • @grishka@friends.grishka.me 2026-02-17 17:21

    Eventually you end up like Russia, where all commercial VPN servers have been blocked for years but everyone either knows someone who self-hosts a VPN, or uses some sketchy adware

    Open ##1075919

  • @alexanderdyas@mindly.social 2026-02-17 17:22

    @mullvadnet How on earth is this even enforceable?

    Open ##1075920

  • @mullvadnet This is a struggle between commercial interests. Non-commercial projects are unlikely to be affected. VPNs are tools not only for bypassing blocks but primarily for creating your own network on top of the main one.

    Open ##1075921

  • @inwis@nerdculture.de 2026-02-17 17:27

    @mullvadnet So everyone should use a VPN, always.

    Open ##1075922

  • @nemo@mas.to 2026-02-17 17:28

    @mullvadnet With all due respect. The UK government can go f… themselfes. You folks are great tho ❤️ 💪 🙏

    Open ##1075923

  • @goowose@mk.absturztau.be 2026-02-17 17:37

    @mullvadnet@mastodon.online at this point i will just straight up not use the internet

    Open ##1075925

  • @mullvadnet They'll have to *really* fast track it if they want to pass it before we yeet them into the rubbish bin of history. Government by announcement only gets you so far when your polls are collapsing and your own guys are saying you should resign. And even if they do, the next government can repeal it easily, because hasty legislation reactively banning things doesn't have any complicated infrastructure to tear down or budget gaps to cover. It can just go away.

    Open ##1075926

  • @mullvadnet So often, systems like government, sports clubs, businesses have such unscalable paths to the influencing of decision makers that they learn very fast that they can be authoritative and selfish with precious little interference.

    Open ##1075927

  • @dotfox@mastodon.social 2026-02-17 18:48

    @mullvadnet curious timing. just about an hour ago I forged and verified my first zero knowledge proof that can tell the verifier that proof holder was born before a certain timestamp (aka. older than N years) at the same time reveling absolutely (!) nothing about proof holders, not even those who authorize it.

    Open ##1075928

  • @greatlaketrout@noc.social 2026-02-17 18:50

    @mullvadnet Requiring every VPN user to verify their age to stop a few bad actors is like requiring everyone to show government ID to buy a hammer because a few people used hammers to commit crimes.

    Open ##1075929

  • @falken@qoto.org 2026-02-17 19:46

    @mullvadnet devil very much in the detail! Is ssh a VPN?

    Open ##1075930

  • @mullvadnet How that would be enforced with VPN suppliers in other countries will be interesting to see. I suspect some of them will tell the UK.GOV to fuck off, which is the correct response.

    Open ##1075931

  • @mullvadnet Following in the steps of its big brother across the Atlantic, huh? Another country to stay the hell away from. Duly noted.

    Open ##1075932

  • @nuwagaba2@mastodon.social 2026-02-17 20:39

    @mullvadnet How can the people in U.K escape being victims of such a policy that's slowly taking away their freedom?

    Open ##1075933

  • @mullvadnet ah yes, Labour

    Open ##1075934

  • @Lemlems@mastodon.social 2026-02-17 21:31

    @mullvadnet Let me guess - the verification will be done by Palantir? Really not enjoying feeling like I’m living in Alan Moore’s fever dream

    Open ##1075935

  • @mullvadnet Reminder this is only a consultation but I deeply worry about passing any of this by using secondary legislation. I call on everyone in the UK to get involved in the consultation when it starts and tell them why this is a bad idea and support groups pushing back on this.

    Open ##1075937

  • @sloanlance@mastodon.social 2026-02-17 23:01

    @mullvadnet Age verification for VPN doesn't make sense. Why shouldn't children use VPNs?

    Open ##1075938

  • @pglpm@c.im 2026-02-17 23:33

    @mullvadnet The people don't do anything about this, which means the people are OK with it. In any case, Russia won. No need to invade: UK and the rest of Europe are slowly becoming Russia. #democracy #ukpol #eupol

    Open ##1075939

  • @wod0bow@mastodon.social 2026-02-18 00:28

    @mullvadnet They are so close to total control. They already have govs, banks, bigtech, media and They want absolutne power. They can cancel your choice (like elections) They can do terrible things like on the E-Island and They can even kill other nations without consequences. There are not enough people who can notice that. And there are even less ones, who want to react.

    Open ##1075942

  • @agaxprex@mastodon.social 2026-02-18 01:29

    @mullvadnet We gotta band together and undermine the authority of the ISPs and the oligarchies that control them. Thank you for fighting back Mullvad 🫡

    Open ##1075943

  • @mullvadnet @paul_ipv6 I can’t say I understand this technology very well but as far as I do, it seems like people would just use a VPN in order to avoid being punished for using a VPN wouldn’t they?

    Open ##1075944

  • @paoloredaelli@mastodon.uno 2026-02-18 06:23

    @mullvadnet Anyone must get #Tor ASAP. I invite those who has a VPS to set up a #tornode Ideally we shall also get #i2p but that's more complex to use

    Open ##1075946

  • @mullvadnet Wait a sec, don’t online banks all use VPN’s? And most work from home setups?

    Open ##1075947

  • @kdra@puntarella.party 2026-02-18 13:00

    @mullvadnet what about age verification to access age verification?

    Open ##1075948

  • @Rastal@mastodon.social 2026-02-18 14:08

    @mullvadnet To be fair, Whistleblowers should be using a more secure setup than just a VPN.

    Open ##1075949

  • @wojtek@social.vivaldi.net 2026-02-18 17:27

    @mullvadnet "A law like this would require everyone to identify themselves in order to use a VPN" yeah… but no. Please kindly stop spreading FUD. There are ways (ZKP) to do that...

    Open ##1075950

  • @lispi314@udongein.xyz 2026-02-18 22:36

    @mullvadnet It's not like their key-disclosure laws don't already permit them to jail & prosecute literally anyone using it if they feel like it, since the law doesn't account for ephemeral keys or keys the user cannot provide.

    Open ##1075951

  • @ciaranmak@mastodon.ie 2026-02-18 22:44

    @mullvadnet They've lost their god damn minds.

    Open ##1075952

  • @madaeas@mastodon.social 2026-02-19 13:55

    @mullvadnet ew.

    Open ##1075953

  • Wonder what they'll do with the tor project then, and all the exitnodes etc.

    Open ##1075954

  • @go_shrumm@scicomm.xyz 2026-02-19 14:10

    @mullvadnet Go offline, play Folkmusic or Jazz, connect with real people in the park, build networks with handshakes that shake real hands, invent lossless methods of word of mouth.

    Open ##1075955

  • @omni@freeradical.zone 2026-02-20 01:05

    @mullvadnet but.. didn't Starmer have this to say? https://trashfuturepodcast.podbean.com/e/preview-double-tap-high-school-tf-live-at-the-fringe/

    Open ##1075956

  • @jfml@mastodon.art 2026-02-22 22:19

    @mullvadnet What is it with political parties that when the fascits are knocking on their door, they are like: "Quick, let's make it REALLY easy for them to turn this country into a dictatorship if they win the next election, because we are a bunch of incompetent douchebags, anyway." Germany and the UK are out of their minds, wtf.

    Open ##1075957

  • @purplerabbit@goo.dgirl.gay 2026-02-17 17:07

    @mullvadnet "yet another step" indeed...

    Open ##1479714