Mullvad VPN takes its banned anti-surveillance ad to the streets after UK TV rejection

• Mullvad's "And Then?" TV ad was prevented from being aired in the UK
• The outdoor campaign criticizing the TV ban has also attracted resistance
• Mullvad's anti-surveillance ad was broadcast in Germany, Sweden, the US

Swedish VPN provider Mullvad is renowned for its staunch privacy stance — and its willing to be vocal about it. However, when the company attempted to bring its anti-surveillance "And Then?" advertisement to British television, it was met with rejection.

Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the 30-second spot aims to raise awareness about online censorship and mass surveillance. Originally designed to criticize "Chat Control" — the EU’s controversial proposal for mandatory message scanning — the campaign has since been repurposed to challenge any legislation that threatens digital freedom.

While the ad has previously aired in Germany, Sweden, and the US, the UK’s advertising clearance body, Clearcast, blocked the broadcast. Clearcast cited a "lack of clarity" and argued that mentions of violent criminals were "inappropriate and irrelevant" and could "imply that the VPN facilitates criminal activity."

Mullvad criticized the decision as "Kafkaesque and Orwellian." In response, the firm attempted to move the campaign offline, only to face further resistance from Transport for London (TfL).

According to Mullvad, TfL forced the company to alter its London Underground advertisements. The first casualty was a poster featuring a QR code linking to the banned commercial.

A second design, featuring the Mullvad logo over a Union Jack with the caption "Banned on British TV," also faced opposition and was subsequently blocked.

"In the end, we chose to simply run the message 'And Then?' as a relevant question for underground commuters in a nation sliding down the slippery slope of mass surveillance and censorship," Mullvad stated.

The provider noted that, in contrast to the underground restrictions, its overground QR code campaign has successfully launched without "any resistance so far."

The battle for visibility shifted to London’s streets today, as Mullvad confirmed plans to bypass traditional broadcast channels by projecting the banned advertisements directly onto city walls.

While the exact locations and timing of these guerrilla-style broadcasts remain tightly guarded, the move signals a significant escalation in Mullvad’s public protest against UK advertising standards.

TechRadar has reached out to Mullvad for further details and will update this story as it develops.

What's at stake for Britons' online privacy

Mullvad’s persistence in running its UK campaign is a direct response to what it views as a deteriorating legal landscape for privacy.

"In the UK, mass surveillance and censorship reminiscent of authoritarian countries are on the verge of being introduced; and when we attempt to criticise this, we are stopped on very vague grounds," Mullvad said.

Specifically, the provider pointed to the government’s use of the Investigatory Powers Act. In February 2025, the Home Office issued a secret order — a Technical Capability Notice — demanding that Apple create a backdoor to access encrypted iCloud data. The move sparked an industry-wide backlash and led Apple to remove the feature from the UK market.

Mullvad also highlighted the ongoing impact of the Online Safety Act and its potential to chill free speech. This has been intensified by the government targeting the "VPN loophole."

Just last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed a three-month consultation period to explore options to "age-restrict or limit children’s VPN use." While the government frames this as a child safety measure, critics have labeled the proposal "an embarrassment."

It's in this climate that, according to Mullvad, the resistance against its anti-surveillance campaign may be "a sign" of what it could come next.

"Europe should be a strong beacon of freedom and rights, rather than moving in an authoritarian direction. Limiting the ability to criticise mass surveillance is, unfortunately, a sign that things are heading in the wrong direction," Mullvad said.

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