Report
What do young people really know about Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)?
A report measuring the awareness of VPN's among 11 to 17 year olds to better understand whether young people may be using these tools to access gambling-related content.
Methodology
Yonder surveyed 1,020 children aged 11 to 17 years online between 30 April and 5 May 2026 via Yonder’s Children’s Omnibus. Consent was given from the parent and the children to take part in the survey.
List experiment
The survey asked children about a potentially sensitive behaviour. To combat social desirability bias, Yonder used an indirect survey technique which helps to accurately measure the prevalence of behaviours or attitudes that may be illegal, stigmatised, or socially undesirable.
This approach is specifically designed to minimise the tendency for respondents to under‑report behaviours they think may be judged negatively, even when confidentiality is assured.
The list experiment method provides children with greater privacy when responding, which is particularly important if a parent is nearby. It allows them to answer honestly without having to directly admit to any behaviour themselves, making it both more reliable and more ethically appropriate.
For analysis, Yonder compared the average number of items selected by the treatment group (Group B), who receive a list that includes the sensitive item (using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to gamble), with the average number selected by the control group (Group A), who received the same list without the sensitive item. The difference between these 2 averages provides an estimate of the proportion of children engaging in the behaviour of interest.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
This approach provides a robust snapshot of awareness and understanding of VPNs among young people and allows findings to be analysed across key demographic groups such as age and gender.
The omnibus format is also a cost-effective and efficient way to gather evidence on emerging issues. As VPN use and online age assurance measures continue to evolve, the methodology allowed us to quickly capture young people's experiences and perceptions at a national level.
The study used a list experiment to explore a potentially sensitive topic: the use of VPNs to access gambling websites. This method offers respondents greater privacy than direct questioning and helps reduce social desirability bias, where participants may be reluctant to admit to behaviours they perceive as inappropriate, risky or against the rules.
This is particularly important when researching children and young people, who may complete surveys in shared environments or with parents nearby. By asking respondents to report how many behaviours they think other people their age have engaged in, rather than whether they have personally done so, the approach encourages more honest responses while minimising the risk of introducing young people to potentially harmful behaviours through direct questioning.
Limitations
The findings should be interpreted in light of several limitations.
First, omnibus surveys are designed to provide breadth rather than depth. While they are effective for identifying patterns and generating population-level estimates, they cannot fully explore the motivations, contexts or experiences behind young people's awareness and use of VPNs. Qualitative research would be needed to better understand how and why young people use these technologies.
Second, all survey data are based on self-report. Measures of VPN awareness and understanding rely on participants' own assessments of their knowledge and may not always reflect their actual level of understanding. Omnibus surveys are also made up of people who agree to be part of a panel and are not based on random-probability sampling meaning the results may not be representative of the population of 11-17 year olds in Great Britain.
The list experiment also measures perceptions rather than directly measuring behaviour. The estimate that around 13 percent of children believe their peers have used a VPN to access gambling sites should not be interpreted as a direct estimate of personal VPN use for gambling. Instead, it provides an indication of how prevalent young people perceive this behaviour to be among their peer group.
Finally, as with all survey-based estimates, there is a degree of statistical uncertainty, particularly when analysing smaller subgroups. Differences between groups should therefore be interpreted as indicative rather than definitive.
This research provides an important early insight into young people's awareness of VPNs and perceptions of their use for gambling, but further research would be valuable to understand behaviours in more detail and track changes over time.
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Findings - What do young people really know about VPNs?
Last updated: 20 August 2026
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