Above, Sarah Champion the Member for Rotherham.
Ms Champion had, back in 2022, launched a campaign against VPNs previously, saying: “My new clause 54 would require the Secretary of State to publish, within six months of the Bill’s passage, a report on the effect of VPN use on Ofcom’s ability to enforce the requirements under clause 112.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vpns-online-safety-bill-labour-champion-b2239810.html by Jon Stone, Policy Correspondent Tuesday 06 December 2022 12:44 GMT.
The arrival of the Online Safety Act has it seems brought about an enormous increase in the use of VPNs. Many have downloaded the so-called “Free Versions” available on the internet. This of course represents a gigantic pay day for the many data brokers who make much money by marketing the data such providers supply!
Your average “uniparty” politician such as the Extremely Unfortunate Right Honourable Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Member for Hove and Portslade opines that VPNs are vehicles to enable child exploitation and in a real sense this is the case. However; there are extremely legitimate and indeed essential reasons why a person may use a VPN.
Surfing onto the website of Tailscale Inc. lists some of the most important reasons. Tailscale Inc. is a software company based in Toronto, Ontario. Tailscale develops a partially open-source software-defined mesh virtual private network (VPN) and a web-based management service.
Tailscale state:
“The importance of VPNs in remote work can’t be understated. A VPN for remote workers creates a secure access channel, protecting sensitive information from interception, and preventing unauthorized access to devices or systems.
GOTO: https://tailscale.com/learn/remote-worker-vpn
I do not doubt that the regime of Stasi Starmer will seek to severely restrict the use of VPNs for the average Briton. Rather than introduce draconian measures on the providers of VNPs themselves, they might venture down the rabbit hole of registration.
You see, besides UK based foreign and British workers using VPNs for legitimate work purposes there are many journalists and others such as academics, scientists and researchers who use VPNs for legitimate work purposes.
I think we will see a regime introduced for employers (and the self employed) to register either directly with Ofcom or indirectly with Ofcom via their internet service provider so as to continue using VPNs. I do not anticipate this will be a revenue raising measure and a registration fee if levied will be modest.
For a self employed person, registration for VPN use will likely have to be accompanied by confirmation of self employed status. They will likely have to submit their Self Assessment details. When submitting they will have to assert that they have a work related reason requiring the use of a VPN. A false declaration will of course be a criminal offence!
There are of course many so-called “Citizen Journalists” the most prominent being a certain Mr Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, AKA “Tommy Robinson”, another prominent “Citizen Journalist” being Mahyar Tousi.
Given that these two gentleman are most unlikely to be on the Christmas card list of The Right Honourable Yvette Cooper (aka Mrs Ed Balls) Home Secretary and the Member for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley I suspect that membership of the National Union of Journalists will be required for any UK journalists possessing British Nationality will be required.
Clearly to avoid the ire of a certain Donald J. Trump ANY foreign citizen will be exempt from registering. Thus foreign tourists will be free to use their VPNs. This will also encompass all those adventurous young men arriving on our shores after their perilous journey in unseaworthy craft across the English Channel!