"My Lords, the Online Safety Act places very clear duties on platforms to protect children, including tackling methods of circumvention. The use of VPNs to bypass safeguards is a known risk, and platforms must act decisively. They are already required to assess such risks and implement proportionate measures. Ofcom will …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, the Government and Ofcom are monitoring the potential impact of circumvention techniques on the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act, especially since the child safety duties came into effect in July 2025. Services promoting VPN use to bypass age checks could face enforcement action. These duties represent a …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, Ofcom has clear enforcement powers against platforms that fail to implement highly effective age assurance. This includes issuing fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, whichever is greater. Ofcom is already using these powers, with investigations opened into at least 47 sites and apps …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, online providers now have a legal duty to protect children from harmful content. As I said earlier, VPNs are here to stay, and people use VPNs for entirely legitimate purposes. It does not negate the protections which the Online Safety Act has put in place. Those duties prevent …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, many people use VPNs for entirely legitimate purposes. Their use does not negate the protections of the Online Safety Act, particularly when it comes to keeping children safe online. We have seen a significant increase in the use of age-verification tools as UK users attempt to access age-restricted …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, online safety regulation is a priority not only for this Government but for Governments around the world. A number of democratic nations are introducing legislation to better protect users from serious online harm, including child sexual abuse, terrorist content and misinformation. The UK’s approach is proportionate, transparent and …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"My Lords, the UK has a proud and enduring tradition of free speech, and we remain fully committed to protecting it as a fundamental human right. In respect of the noble Lord’s question, I will have to write to him as to when Ofcom will make the classification. The Online …..." Lord Leong - View Speech
"That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 26 and 30 June be approved.
Relevant document: 31st Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. Considered in Grand Committee on 8 and 10 September...." Lord Leong - View Speech