Denmark scraps controversial VPN ban proposal after public backlash

• Denmark drops the proposal to ban the use of VPNs for illegal streaming
• The decision follows significant backlash from privacy advocates
• Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt stated he never intended to outlaw VPNs

The Danish government has abandoned a controversial legislative proposal that would have banned the use of VPNs to access geo-restricted streaming content and bypass website blocks. The move comes swiftly after the bill drew widespread condemnation from digital rights advocates and the public, who raised serious concerns about its impact on internet freedom.

The Danish Minister for Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, announced on Monday that he was cutting the contentious section from the bill. "I do not support making VPNs illegal, and I have never proposed to do so," Engel-Schmidt said in a statement. He admitted the initial text was "not formulated precisely enough" and led to a fundamental misunderstanding of its purpose.

The original proposal, part of a wider anti-piracy effort, sought to make it illegal to "use VPN connections to access media content which would otherwise not be available in Denmark, or to circumvent blocks on illegal websites." This sparked alarm among privacy groups, who warned that the vague wording could criminalize not only streaming enthusiasts but also ordinary citizens using the best VPN services for legitimate privacy and security reasons.

A swift reversal

The backlash was immediate and fierce. As reported last week, critics like Jesper Lund of the IT Political Association described the proposal as having a "totalitarian feel to it" and warned it could go further than measures seen in more authoritarian countries. This public pressure appears to have been effective, forcing a rapid U-turn from the government.

In his latest statement on the matter, Engel-Schmidt attempted to bring an end to the mounting debate surrounding the proposal. Pressure had been increasing from both digital rights advocates and technology users who feared that the new legislation might inadvertently restrict tools widely used for online privacy and security.

Addressing the confusion directly, Engel-Schmidt sought to quell the controversy entirely. "I am therefore removing the section about VPNs from the proposal so there is no longer any doubt that I in no way wish to ban VPNs," he clarified.

His comment was intended to reassure the public that the government had no intention of criminalizing or limiting the use of virtual private networks, which citizens and businesses commonly use to ensure data protection and secure access to online services.

This reversal is a significant victory for privacy advocates in Denmark and across Europe. It highlights the growing tension between aggressive copyright enforcement and the fundamental digital rights of citizens.

While the Danish government continues to push other controversial tech-related legislation, including its advocacy for the EU's "Chat Control" bill, this episode demonstrates that public opposition can still force a change of course. The rest of the anti-piracy bill will now proceed without the clauses that caused such widespread alarm, leaving the right to use VPNs in Denmark intact.

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