Ofcom weighs "further action" on VPNs following Online Safety Act

• Ofcom says more information needed about VPN use in UK
• VPN usage data is acquired from mobile intelligence firm, Apptopia
• FOI documents show nearly £500,000 spent on internet monitoring tools

Ofcom has announced today that it will continue to gather information about VPN use in the UK to help "guide thinking and decisions about whether there is a need for further action in this area."

In its first report on the state of online safety since the introduction of the Online Safety Act, the agency acknowledges that there has been "considerable public debate" about young people using VPNs to bypass age checks.

The regulator confirmed it will expand its "evidence base" by engaging directly with youth panels and surveying families on their familiarity with VPNs. This data will be combined with ongoing monitoring of VPN adoption trends across the UK.

Ofcom has also confirmed that its data on daily VPN use is sourced from Apptopia, an app intelligence platform, after previously refusing to disclose the source of its data.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request filed by TechRadar, Ofcom revealed it has spent close to £500,000 on internet monitoring software and services since 2022.

Ofcom's information gathering continues

Alongside its technical monitoring, Ofcom has announced it is launching an advisory panel with the Children’s Commissioner for England "to hear directly from children" about their use and experience of the internet. This will include gathering insights on their use of VPNs.

Additionally, the agency has added questions on VPNs to its Children and Parents Media Literacy Tracker – a long-running annual survey designed to track habits, literacy, and understanding of media in the UK. A report on the data and analysis from this is expected in May 2026.

All of these information-gathering exercises are intended to build Ofcom's "evidence base" and will inform its decision on whether further action on VPNs is required and what it considers to be "proportionate."

TechRadar has reached out to Ofcom to ask whether restrictions could be placed on VPNs following this process, but we are yet to hear back from the agency.

FOI reveals internet monitoring spending

Prior to the publication of Ofcom's report, TechRadar filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to obtain information about how the regulator was gathering data on VPN use in the UK. In response, the agency revealed it was accessing data from Apptopia, SimilarWeb, and Ipsos Iris.

The request also disclosed that Ofcom had spent almost £500,000 on internet monitoring software and services since 2022, figures that exclude the current financial year.

We have reached out to Ofcom regarding its budget for these services in 2025/26 and will update this article when additional information becomes available.