Policy

Policy category is the wrapper for all Policy orientated content

News, Policy

Internet Society UK Chapter Joins Coalition Letter Urging Government to Protect VPNs

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The Internet Society UK Chapter has added its name to a joint open letter calling on the UK Government to protect the availability of virtual private networks (VPNs), even as it moves ahead with new measures to keep children safer online. The letter, addressed to Rt Hon. Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, was published on 9 July 2026, hosted by the VPN Trust Initiative and the Internet Infrastructure Coalition.

Background

The letter lands amid months of debate over how far the Government should go in restricting VPN use as part of its wider child-safety agenda.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Internet Society UK joins Mozilla calls on UK policymakers to address the roots of online harm, not undermine the open web

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The UK Chapter of the Internet Society has signed the Mozilla Join Statement on urging UK policymakers not to undermine the open web in their efforts to protect young people online. This Statement was announced on the Mozilla blog on 5 May 2026.

Mozilla has joined a coalition of 19 digital rights organizations and technology providers in a joint statement, urging UK policymakers not to undermine the open web in their efforts to protect young people online.

The Statement argues that keeping the Internet open, private and secure is essential, and warns that policies such as mandatory age verification and VPN restrictions threaten these principles.… Read more ...

Events, Policy

Parliamentary Hearing – “Repeal the Online Safety Act”

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On Monday 15 December 2025, there will be a Parliamentary Hearing discussing the e-petition 722903 called “Repeal the Online Safety Act” which reached in excess of 500 000 signatures.

A Westminster Hall debate has been scheduled for 4:30pm on 15 December 2025 on an e-petition relating to relating to the Online Safety Act. The debate will be opened by Lewis Atkinson https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0224/

The debate can be followed remotely on Parliament Live: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/e2268880-809d-4a80-96a2-fe7ab799c124

The Internet Society and the UK Chapter of the Internet Society have put together an Online Brief, shared with the Petitioner Alex Baynham as well as news outlets, MPs and other organisations involved in this discussion..… Read more ...

News, Policy

Global Statement on the Role of Encryption in Securing Trust and Enabling the Digital Economy

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17 November 2025

Encryption is a cornerstone of the global digital economy. Without strong technical safeguards such as encryption, users cannot rely on online services to keep their most sensitive information, including financial and health data, secure from malicious actors.

Yet, despite overwhelming evidence that backdoors weaken security, policymakers around the world continue to propose measures that would mandate such vulnerabilities. The Salt Typhoon attacks in late 2024 serve as a stark reminder: backdoors always compromise protection and expose users to greater risk.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Follow-up on Response to Consultation on: Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries

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In August 2023, the UK Chapter submitted a response to a UK Government consultation on Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries.

The Internet Society UK Chapter had responded to the Consultation on the Digital Economy Act 2010, criticizing the consultation deadline during the summer holidays for hindering inclusive stakeholder engagement. They urged further consultations to ensure broad stakeholder involvement in managing UK Internet resources. They highlighted several concerns:

  1. The Act was outdated, given the significant changes in the Internet since 2010, making the drafting of powers potentially inappropriate.
… Read more ...
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