The UK House of Lords has voted to extend “age assurance” requirements, effectively age verification mandates, to virtual private networks (VPNs) and a wide range of online platforms under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The decision deepens the reach of the already-controversial Online Safety Act, linking child safety goals to mechanisms that could have severe effects on private communication and digital autonomy. Under the existing Online Safety Act framework, “user-to-user services...