[embedding-shape]

Yeah, if you're unable to read, I understand reaching such conclusion :) But no, this is about platforms/services:

> Amendment 92 (“Action to Prohibit the Provision of VPN Services to Children in the United Kingdom”) requires VPNs that are “offered or marketed to persons in the United Kingdom” or “provided to a significant number of persons” to implement age assurance for UK users.

[vorticalbox]

it also said to have "different ages for different services" so the fact you have a debit/credit card to pay is more than enough to prove you at least 16.

this will be interesting to watch i just wish i weren't caught in the net.

[swores]

That's never been true in the UK? You don't have to be 16 to get a debit card, and having one isn't proof of any age. (For example, Barclays gave me my first debit card when I was 13, many years ago.)

[vidarh]

There are debit cards in the UK marketed for down to 6 years old. Granted the accounts are linked to a parent.

[londons_explore]

But if openvpn clients want to connect to those servers?

[embedding-shape]

If those services are provided by a company that “offered or marketed to persons in the United Kingdom” or “provided to a significant number of persons”, then they need to implement those checks. Still outside of openvpn, and still outside of general servers, you can still spin up your own server and use that, without any age checks, as you're not offering any service.

The host who lets you spin up the server might also need to implement those age checks though. But still, not openvpn.

[Imustaskforhelp]

So effectively truly Private vpn providers have to have an exit from UK. I mean even if say proton says that its not meant for UK but "substantial" people use protonvpn because its private, then they would be forced for the same laws.

Another point is what prevents UK govt or UK bots to sign up for Proton Vpn say themselves and the difference between bots and humans is becoming thin especially for such Private Vpn's and then UK govt comes again knocking asking for age verification.

Honestly makes me feel like UK citizens are hostage in their own countries & we might see more UK IP's being blocked from accessing services because the idea of Virtual private network is still vague in my opinion. One can abstract a sort of VPN on top of xmpp or matrix servers too or even telegram as the intermediate. Would that mean that UK govt would come knocking onto these asking for who created the VPN (suppose I built a VPN which uses telegram to send messages/packets or uses telegram infra, so would they come to telegram asking what is the IP/detail info of my telegram user, would they go to signal or xmpp or matrix providers too? What if I use a provider who colo's on a datacenter and they go to the datacenter asking for access or the company behind datacenter

I am not saying that they would for something so niche but the fact of the matter is that nothing's stopping them from the laws from what I can gather.

They would only have to do it once to instill fear in the masses. I mean technically just this law has instilled fear and I am not even a UK citizen

Someone familiar with UK law please comment on my message but VPN is such a vague term imo. Like at this point you are just targeting private networks or people who meet online in private

VPNs LITERALLY means Virtual "PRIVATE NETWORKS"

What gives the govt right to intercept between two parties communicating in any way (enforcing a condition for one party to have Id of other for age verification etc.)

[chrisjj]

It is not an interception. It is not a condition on either party. It does not require either party to have the other's ID.

It is no more than a requirement on the service provider.

[Imustaskforhelp]

> It does not require either party to have the other's ID.

Sure but that's literally not my point.

It's still an interception because the govt is still decided who can communicate (essentially) or not.

You cannot communicate with a vps provider if they don't have your ID and this condition being forced as a requirement otherwise the UK govt.s gonna jail and sue into literal millions is much akin to an interception in basically everything.

[chrisjj]

It literally is your point "enforcing a condition for one party to have Id of other for age verification etc".

As for the provider, there is not prhibition on communicating with him, with or without ID. Just on him providing service to other than verifed adults.

[totaa]

surely openvpn being pre-installed on most routers means it's provided to an significant portion?

[ZiiS]

It is the server that you connect to that is covered by this amendment; they don't care how you connect.

[embedding-shape]

Sure, but openvpn itself doesn't become a "service" just because of that.

[afiori]

i don't think so, it is not provided as a service. if you provide vpn service people can connect to from their router then you need to do age verification before giving them a key/password to connect to the server