Searches for VPNs jumped 165 per cent overnight after the government confirmed plans to ban under-16s from social media, fuelling demand for digital workarounds.

The rush came within hours of Keir Starmer unveiling one of the world’s toughest online safety regimes, which will block social media platforms from offering services to under-16s and introduce wider restrictions on gaming platforms and addictive online features.

New data from IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG) found Google searches for ‘VPN’ rose 165 per cent overnight, before the government formally confirmed the plans on Monday morning.

“What stands out most in this data is the speed of the response,” said Richy George, chief recenue officer at IT-AMG. “Within hours of the ban being confirmed, the nation’s teenagers appear to have been Googling how to get around it rather than disengaging from social media altogether.”

“Within hours of the ban being confirmed, the nation’s teenagers appear to have been Googling how to get around it rather than disengaging from social media altogether,” George added.

VPNs allow a user to mask their location by funnelling their internet connection through a server, meaning they could be used by someone under 16 as a tool to bypass the incoming social media ban.

The findings come as separate research from Cybernews suggests previous age-verification measures introduced under the Online Safety Act triggered a sustained increase in both VPN downloads and online discussions about bypassing restrictions.

The report found comments on Reddit discussions related to bypassing age-verification systems surged 460 per cent in August 2025, immediately after the UK’s age-verification requirements came into force on July 25.

At the same time, VPN downloads in Britain exceeded 2m in a single month, before remaining elevated at more than 1m downloads per month for much of the following year.

The research identified 241 Reddit discussions focused on bypassing age-verification systems between May 2025 and April 2026, with new threads rising from just one discussion in May 2025 to 65 by April this year.

“VPNs already being used to bypass age restrictions should be a warning that bans alone are unlikely to deliver the outcome ministers want,” said Kim Samuel, founder of Belonging Forum.

Enforcement challenges ahead

The data lands as ministers prepare to rely heavily on age-assurance technology to enforce the new social media restrictions.

Under plans announced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), platforms including Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X and Youtube will be required to prevent under-16s from accessing their services.

The government said it would learn from Australia’s experience by introducing “highly effective age assurance” measures and has asked Ofcom to conduct an urgent review into age-verification technologies.

But cybersecurity researchers warned determined users are already proving adept at finding alternative routes online.

“It looks like age verification laws are not stopping determined users from accessing restricted content,” said Aras Nazarovas, senior information security researcher at Cybernews.

“And it’s not just kids. Many privacy-conscious users simply do not want to share sensitive personal data online, as age verification often requires uploading an ID or doing a facial scan.”

“As long as these methods remain so privacy-invasive while bypass techniques remain widely accessible, these laws are unlikely to achieve their intended effect.”

The concerns echo lessons from Australia, where VPN downloads nearly tripled after age restrictions for adult content came into force earlier this year.