UK locked into third-party age checks as MPs claim VPNs on expenses

11 August 2025

Paul Francis

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The UK’s new Online Safety Act has introduced sweeping age verification rules for a wide range of digital services. From social media platforms to music streaming apps, users now face requests to prove their age through ID uploads, facial scans or other forms of verification.

The majority of these checks are being handled by specialist third-party companies, often based overseas. They act as intermediaries, confirming whether a user is old enough to access certain content. In many cases, they do not share the full ID with the platform, instead sending back a simple “pass” or “fail”.

How the system works

Under the new law, platforms must ensure that children cannot access content deemed harmful. That includes explicit music lyrics, violent games, pornography, gambling, and online discussions of subjects such as eating disorders or suicide.

To meet this “highly effective” requirement, most companies have opted not to build their own systems. Instead they have signed contracts with external providers such as Yoti, Persona and Kids Web Services. These services use techniques like:

Scanning an official document such as a passport or driving licence.
Estimating a user’s age through a selfie analysed by AI.
Linking to government databases or credit card checks.

Some verification companies promise to delete personal data within days. Others may retain information for months or years, raising concerns among privacy advocates. Critics point out that once this infrastructure is in place, it could, in theory, be used for purposes beyond child safety.

MPs’ VPN expenses draw attention

While the public adjusts to this new reality, attention has turned to how some politicians manage their own online access.

A POLITICO review of parliamentary expenses found that several MPs, including Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, claimed subscriptions for virtual private networks (VPNs). Reynolds expensed a two-year NordVPN subscription in April 2024. Other MPs, such as Labour’s Sarah Champion and Alex Sobel, and Conservative MPs Gareth Davies and Chris Heaton-Harris, have also claimed for VPN services.

VPNs encrypt internet traffic and can hide a user’s location, making them harder to track. They are often used by businesses and journalists to protect sensitive information. However, they can also bypass regional restrictions, including those imposed by age-verification systems.

The revelation has sparked criticism online, with some pointing out the apparent contradiction between MPs approving legislation that pushes the public into using third-party age checks while themselves claiming tools that can avoid such checks.

What it means for ordinary users

For people who rarely think about online privacy, the combination of mandatory age verification and rising VPN usage can seem confusing. In practical terms, the new rules could mean:

You may need to upload official documents or scan your face to access websites you have used freely for years.
Your personal data may be handled by a company you have never heard of and which may be outside the UK.
Content you regard as harmless could still be blocked unless you verify your age.
Some smaller websites may block UK visitors altogether rather than invest in compliance systems.

Meanwhile, VPNs remain legal in the UK, but their usage is being monitored more closely. Providers have reported sharp rises in new subscriptions since the age verification rules came into effect. Privacy campaigners warn that this creates a two-tier internet where tech-savvy or wealthier users can pay for workarounds while others cannot.

The bigger picture

Supporters of the law, including many parents’ groups, argue that the measures are long overdue to protect children in an increasingly digital world. The government insists that the age checks are proportionate and that privacy is being respected.

Opponents counter that the approach is heavy-handed, ineffective against determined users, and potentially damaging to free expression. They also highlight that the involvement of overseas verification companies gives the UK little control over how data is stored or processed.

As the Online Safety Act’s child safety duties become fully enforceable, the divide between public compliance and private circumvention may continue to grow. The irony that some MPs are expensing VPNs while the public is told to trust age-checking systems has not been lost on critics.

For the average person, the choice is stark. Accept a new layer of ID checks to keep using familiar online services, or follow the lead of some elected representatives and invest in a VPN — with all the technical know-how and potential legal scrutiny that entails.

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The Cultural Stigma Around Cosmetic Surgery: Why Are We Still Judging?

Toby Patrick
Jul 23
3 min read

Gloved hands holding a translucent breast implant in a surgical setting. The person wears a blue gown with the text "Mölnlycke" visible.

Cosmetic surgery is popular all over the world, but it still comes with a stigma. While some see it as empowering, others view it as harmful, vain and against religious or cultural beliefs. Most people have come to accept cosmetic surgery and realise the benefits that it can bring to their lives. But throughout this article, we will answer the question of why we are still judging those who choose to go under the knife.

Where did the stigma come from?

The most obvious impact of cosmetic surgery comes from cultural and religious beliefs. Going back in time, you would find that many religions believe altering our appearance goes against the God responsible for creating us.

Islam is arguably the religion most against the use of cosmetic surgery. Although the beliefs of some are becoming slightly more relaxed, most radical Muslims would view cosmetic surgery as tampering with something which Allah has created.

This differs from Islam’s stance on plastic surgery or any procedure that is designed to correct functional issues with the body.

The media also plays a key role in stigmas, and this isn’t exclusive to cosmetic surgery. Over the years, mainstream media and social media have portrayed plastic surgery to be a way of achieving a fake look.

Woman in white lab coat and purple cap, wearing blue gloves, holds a syringe. Focused expression in a clinical setting.

Social Expectations and Cosmetic Surgery

The increasing pressure to look a certain way, driven by what we see in Hollywood and online, has played a part in our changing beliefs towards cosmetic surgery. Women, especially, are put under pressure to look younger, have bigger breasts, skinnier waists and so on. Celebrities who don’t follow the standard are often unfairly criticised in the media.

This has caused a conflict with the stigma towards cosmetic surgery. As a society, we have come to accept that we cannot criticise appearances and also look down on those who are simply trying to keep up with aesthetic trends.

While the stigma has become more relaxed, men also still face backlash for turning to cosmetic surgery. Altering appearances in artificial ways is generally seen as a feminine act by many, despite the fact that men face the same pressures as women to look a certain way.

Breaking The Stigma Fully

Going forward, there is still some work to be done in terms of breaking the stigma around cosmetic surgery. After all, why should someone be judged for what they choose to do with their own body? Especially when we consider that these choices often come from the pressures created by society.

Fortunately, the tide is turning. In South Korea, for example, cosmetic and plastic surgery are viewed as normal with no stigma attached. As a result, 1 in 5 South Koreans have undergone plastic surgery.

This demonstrates the need for continued education in the Western world about surgery. Cosmetic surgery in Manchester or New York will likely still be presented negatively by certain areas of the media.

Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that there is still a stigma attached to cosmetic surgery, but we do appear to be making steps towards breaking this stigma. Going forward, education will be key to this shift, and it’s imperative that future generations are educated around issues such as confidence and empowerment. At the same time, it’s important that we aren’t creating or promoting unsafe surgical trends. When it comes to striking the right balance, the world can look to South Korea, where surgery is used to boost confidence, with trends focusing on safe, minimally invasive procedures. Time will tell whether or not the Western world can reach the same point in terms of attitudes towards surgery.