UK Online Safety Act

Although the UK's Online Safety Act has made significant strides in holding online platforms accountable for harmful content, new research reveals a concerning gap in personal cybersecurity awareness among British internet users.

The study from AstrillVPN analysed search data from Google Keyword Planner to identify the privacy concerns most frequently searched by Britons. The results show password security and anonymous browsing are currently dominating the public’s attention.

We know that the UK’s Online Safety Act has had a number of consequences including a surge in interest in the use of VPNs. But VPNs aren’t the only things that have seen greater interest.

New research from Comparitech shows more people are searching for fake IDs, how to access the dark web, and torrenting services. The company has recorded a 56 percent increase in impressions for blog posts related to the law and guides to using VPNs as a means of accessing restricted content.

The UK’s Online Safety Act has already led to controversy in a number of areas, but it seems that, on a positive note, it may have helped drive a growing level of privacy awareness among internet users.

New research from AstrillVPN shows a surge in searches related to privacy tools. Data breach checker ‘Have I Been Pwned’ has topped the list of the UK’s most searched online privacy tools, receiving an average of 67,542 monthly searches.

There’s been some controversy around the use of VPNs recently, mostly centering on the UK’s Online Safety Act. But despite this August 19th is International VPN Day and NordVPN has issued a timely reminder of the importance of using one.

A VPN isn’t just for tech experts, it’s a first line of defense against surveillance, data theft, and invasive tracking. However, not all VPNs are created equal and free ones may offer weaker protection and end up with your data being sold rather than protected.

As we’ve been reporting over the past week interest in VPN use in the UK has spiked following concerns about the Online Safety Act and its age verification rules.

Inevitably the government has noticed the surge in VPN use and while it insists it has no plans to ban their use the science secretary, Peter Kyle, says it will be looking “very closely” at how they’re being employed.

As we reported earlier this week, the UK’s new Online Safety Act has seen a surge in interest in the use of VPNs and an online petition for its repeal has been signed by over 400,000 people.

An article published yesterday by The Critic argues that the legislation is badly drafted. Industry figures too are raising doubts about the effectiveness of the act, its likely wider impact on cybersecurity and its potential for overreach.

The UK’s new Online Safety Act came into force this week, aimed at protecting youngsters with age verification to access adult and harmful content. However, it’s seen other material being blocked and sparked concern among free speech campaigners about government censorship.

It’s not too surprising then that there’s been a lot of interest in VPNs since the act came into force. VPNMentor has seen a 6,430 percent peak surge in VPN demand since the act’s introduction.