The idea of a “Great British Firewall” makes for a catchy headline, but it would be riddled with holes and cause huge problems. The Guardian reports that the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), a UK intelligence, security, and cyber agency, is exploring the idea of a British firewall offering protection against malicious hackers. It falls within its remit, but one of the measures reportedly discussed—banning VPN software—raises practical and technical questions. Here’s what you actually need to know, and why you shouldn’t panic about your VPN just yet. There are no current plans on the statute books to ban VPNs for everyone. Ministers and regulators explicitly acknowledge VPNs as lawful services with legitimate uses. The current political focus is on “online safety”, especially…