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It was always about censorship and surveillance not about “protecting children”
It can be about both. If it's about both, censorship and surveillance are still a massive problem.
Because a VPN encrypts your internet traffic and spoofs your IP address, it can easily make you appear as though you are browsing from a different country, bypassing local geoblocks and age gates. That's exactly why VPN downloads skyrocketed after Australia enforced mandatory age verification for adult content last March.
Recent analysis of Australia's age verification rules suggests that trying to plug these "loopholes" could severely compromise the digital safety of the broader population. In fact, some experts argue that demanding that platforms actively block VPN connections sets a dangerous precedent for civil liberties.
As the EU launches its own age verification initiatives, regulators are increasingly signaling that VPNs might be next in line for restrictions. Similarly, the shifting_role of VPNs in the UK has prompted rigorous discussions about whether incoming social media bans could lead to VPN restrictions.
Whether everyday Australians will still be able to freely protect their data on public Wi-Fi without being blocked from their favorite sites remains to be seen
There are plenty of other legitimate uses for VPNs that would cause real issues if they were banned. But that also wouldn’t stop smaller VPNs or peer-hosted options. As another commenter said, this isn’t about protecting children, it’s just authoritarian surveillance.
Oh yeah make them use Tor instead that'll keep the children safe!
Governments of the world, get the hell out of the Internet, kthxbai.