Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle told Labour Conference:
“Governing is hard and I know we have made it look unnecessarily hard at times.”
In the latest example of Labour’s troubles navigating the concept of online privacy Peter Kyle’s own staff have confirmed that they use a VPN. Hope they aren’t looking at any X posts from Tory MPs…
Peter Kyle previously said:
“For everybody who’s out there thinking of using VPNs, let me just say to you directly: verifying your age keeps a child safe, keeps children safe in our country. So, let’s just not try and find a way around.”
DSIT confirmed to Guido in response to an FoI request that “the department uses Zscaler, which provides a suite of secure access services including VPN functionality.” That’s part of a £2.17 million contract. The rest of you can save the children and verify your age…
Marc Andreessen, one of Silicon Valley’s top venture capitalists, personally reached out to Downing Street last week to complain about the censorious Online Safety Act. Following widespread backlash against the legislation which has already blocked memes, Wikipedia articles, and a picture of Starmer’s head on a baby’s body…
According to the FT, Andreessen even called for Starmer to slap the wrist of Peter Kyle after he insisted critics of the Act were “on the side” of sex offenders and Jimmy Savile. Since that attack line came from Number 10 itself, Andreessen’s suggestion will probably fall on deaf ears…
The government’s own National Cyber Security Centre recommends that private individuals use a Virtual Private Network to keep their data secure. What will Labour do now…
The latest guidance for small business owners says:
“When you use public Wi-Fi hotspots (for example in hotels or coffee shops), there is no way to easily find out who controls the hotspot, or to prove that it belongs to who you think it does. If you connect to these hotspots, somebody else could access:
- what you’re working on whilst connected
- your private login details that many apps and web services maintain whilst you’re logged on
The simplest precaution is not to connect to the Internet using unknown hotspots, and instead use your mobile 3G or 4G mobile network, which will have built-in security. This means you can also use ‘tethering’ (where your other devices such as laptops share your 3G/4G connection), or a wireless ‘dongle’ provided by your mobile network. You can also use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), a technique that encrypts your data before it is sent across the Internet. If you’re using third party VPNs, you’ll need the technical ability to configure it yourself, and should only use VPNs provided by reputable service providers.”
Hacks have lapped up Peter Kyle’s line that he is currently “not in the business” of restricting VPN use. As Guido revealed yesterday Labour officially supported a forcing a review on rules for VPNs when the Online Safety Act was first debated…
Kyle is currently begging adults to verify their age whenever they are asked, which is unsustainable. All it will take is for a few civil service reviews to support restricting VPNs somehow – e.g. by forcing them off established app stores. A futile effort and one which makes the internet more dangerous – much like the Online Safety Act…
Labour should take their advice from the National Cyber Security Centre on VPNs. Farcical…
Zia Yusuf has responded to Peter Kyle’s comments this morning saying Nigel Farage is on the side of Jimmy Savile:
“To use that allegation against Nigel is one of the most appalling and disgusting things I have seen in the political arena in my lifetime and I think it is upon him to apologise.”
Yusuf went on to attack Kyle as a ‘dinosaur’ with no experience in tech:
“And whatever horrors you think your child is already looking at, I promise you as a parent, once they go into that rabbit hole, it is your worst nightmare as a parent. And if you have, for example, BT or Sky, one of the child safety locks that you have, if you’re a parent, those VPNs defeat them because it basically hides the metadata. So it defeats all your existing child safety locks. The person in question who’s using these slurs, I just want to make this point, has never worked in tech. From what I can tell, he’s never even worked in the private sector. And this is the problem. You have MPs and politicians who are frankly dinosaurs do not understand the world that they’re trying to legislate. And the kids whom they are trying to protect running rings around them.”
Kyle has doubled down. Heat on the Science Secretary here – Starmer will have to defend the comments…
Science Secretary Peter Kyle has said Nigel Farage is ‘on the side of Jimmy Saville’ this morning while defending the Online Safety Act. Even host Wilfred Frost was incredulous…
On Sky News Kyle gave an extended rant in favour of the law, which has so far led to a massive surge in VPN use and banned footage of protests from X, claiming he has not yet seen one single misapplication of the legislation so far. He launched unprompted into an attack on the Reform leader, saying:
“If Jimmy Savile were alive today he’d be perpetrating his crimes online, and Nigel Farage is saying he’s on their side.”
Kyle said Farage was siding with “extreme pornographers peddling hate, peddling violence.” Frost replied: “Do you honestly think to say Nigel Farage is on Jimmy Savile’s side… this is a major leap.” Kyle responded that he was protecting children by telling people to age verify online and Farage wants to “turn the clock back.” This will cause huge fireworks today…
UPDATE: Farage says Kyle should “do the right thing and apologise” for his “disgusting” comments.
UPDATE II: Peter Kyle doubles down in response: “If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.“
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”