Let’s be real for a second… the UK Online Safety Act is one of those government moves that sounds noble on paper, but in practice? It just ends up making life harder for normal people.
Who actually gets penalised here?
Not the young tech-savvy crowd (they’ve been using VPNs since they were 12), but older generations – the people who just want to read the news, watch a clip, or catch up on something online without a giant “You’re not allowed” sign popping up.
And that’s the part I really don’t like about it. It’s dressed up as “protecting people,” but to me it feels like a thin excuse to keep closer tabs on what you’re doing online.
The Classic Answer: VPNs (But There’s a Catch)
Of course, the obvious answer is “Just use a VPN.” And yep, VPNs work.
- Some are free.
- Some are paid.
- All of them basically trick your connection into thinking you’re browsing from somewhere else.
I’ve used VPNs plenty of times, and they’re fine… but let’s be honest: free ones are usually limited, slow and just an all-around pain in the backside. As much as I appreciate that they are free, it still leaves us wanting a decent one, which can get costly.
The Easier Way (Free, and No VPNs Needed!)
After messing around with VPNs, and just getting frustrated. I found something way simpler: NextDNS.
Here’s why it’s brilliant:
- Works without a VPN
- Totally free (forever)
- Blocks ads automatically too -so sites like LadBible stop spamming you with pop-ups
- Super easy to set up (literally just change your DNS, it has a step-by-step)
- If you do want extra features, it’s only £1.79 per month, which is cheaper than a VPN
Honestly, it’s the best workaround I’ve found for the Online Safety Act restrictions. No faff, no sneaky installs, and no dodgy “free VPN” vibes.
Try It for Yourself
I am only really making this page because I found it useful myself, and I like to share these things with my readers (check out my other pages if you want some reassurance)
If you want to give it a go, you can check out NextDNS here: https://nextdns.io/?from=jqs2ruhn
That’s my affiliate link, which means if you do decide to support them with the paid plan, I’ll get a little kickback (at no extra cost to you). But the free version works perfectly fine too – and honestly, that’s all you really need.
