Introduction

Parents are legally responsible for their children’s welfare, including online safety. Rather than imposing blanket regulations that risk infringing rights, freedoms, and privacy, this proposal recommends:

Making parents responsible for their children’s browsing habits and the content they access. This approach offers a better solution to the issue of inappropriate content for children than the recently approved Online Safety Act 2025.

Educating parents on cybersecurity, hardening home networks, and avoiding the sharing of personal data with private companies, thereby reducing the risk of identity theft.

• Educating parents to configure router-based content blocking
• Integrating encrypted tunnels on children’s mobile devices
• Giving parents responsibility instead of taking it away, potentially reducing citizens’ rights and freedoms.

This empowers parents, enhances cybersecurity, and preserves civil liberties.

 

 

Proposal Overview

This proposal outlines a comprehensive parental education program designed to equip parents with the skills and tools necessary to manage their children’s online safety effectively. Key components include:

• Family-Safe DNS Services: Educating parents on using DNS providers like Cloudflare’s 1.0.0.3 to block unwanted content.
• Keyword-Based Filters: Configuring modern routers to filter content based on specific keywords.
• URL Block Lists: Setting up block lists to restrict access to inappropriate websites.
• App Filters: Implementing per-device app filters to control access to applications.
• Encrypted Tunnels: Ensuring children’s mobile devices route traffic through secure home gateways to prevent filter evasion while away from home.
• PiHole and Blocklists: Educating parents to services like PiHole and using blocklists such as https://github.com/Tempest-Solutions-Company/pihole_blocklists to stop devices on the home network connecting to known malicious domains, websites and C&C server.

By participating in this educational program, parents will gain the knowledge and confidence to take control of their children’s online experiences. They will learn how to configure and manage tools like Family-Safe DNS services, keyword-based filters, and URL block lists, enabling them to block inappropriate content effectively. This hands-on approach empowers parents to tailor online safety measures to their family’s unique needs, fostering a safer and more controlled digital environment.

Additionally, the program will provide parents with the technical skills to implement encrypted tunnels and app filters, ensuring that children’s devices remain secure even when used outside the home. By leveraging tools like PiHole and curated blocklists, parents can protect their home networks from malicious domains and cyber threats, enhancing overall cybersecurity. This comprehensive training not only addresses immediate online safety concerns but also builds a foundation of digital literacy that benefits the entire family.

 

 

Feasibility

The feasibility of this proposal is grounded in its reliance on existing technologies and community-driven education. Modern routers equipped with DNS filtering and VPN client capabilities provide the technical foundation for implementing these measures. Parents can access training programs through online modules, in-person workshops, and step-by-step guides, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.

Device integration is streamlined through pre-configured mobile VPN apps, which route traffic through the home gateway for filtering. Maintenance and support are facilitated by community forums, help-desk services, and annual refresher courses, fostering a collaborative environment for ongoing learning and adaptation.

By leveraging these resources, parents can effectively manage their children’s online safety without the need for extensive bureaucratic oversight. This approach not only enhances cybersecurity but also empowers parents to take an active role in protecting their families.

 

Aspect	Details
Technical Requirements	Modern routers with firmware supporting DNS/filter rules and VPN client capabilities.
Parental Training Program	Online modules, in-person workshops (via schools/community centres), step-by-step guides.
Device Integration	Mobile VPN apps pre-configured to forward traffic through the home gateway for filtering.
Maintenance & Support	Community forums, help-desk support, annual refresher courses.

 

Benefits

The benefits of this proposal extend beyond immediate online safety measures, offering long-term advantages for families and communities. Enhanced parental responsibility is a cornerstone of this approach, as parents gain hands-on skills to manage their children’s online experiences. Granular content control allows for tailored filtering per device, ensuring a personalized and effective safety strategy.

Improved cybersecurity is achieved through centralized home-gateway filtering, which reduces the attack surface and equips parents with best practices for network defense. Preserved freedoms and privacy are maintained by avoiding mass data collection and mandatory reporting, ensuring that families retain control over their digital environments.

Cost-effectiveness is another significant benefit, as this proposal leverages existing home hardware and free/open-source DNS/VPN solutions, eliminating the need for new bureaucratic structures. By adopting this model, families can achieve a safer online experience while preserving their rights and freedoms.

 

Benefit	Explanation
Enhanced Parental Responsibility	Parents gain hands-on skills, reinforcing their role in managing children’s online experiences.
Granular Content Control	Router filters block categories per device; tunnels ensure mobile devices cannot bypass rules.
Improved Cybersecurity	Centralised home-gateway filtering reduces attack surface; parents learn best practices for network defence.
Preserved Freedoms & Privacy	No mass user data collection or mandatory reporting to private firms or regulators.
Cost-Effectiveness	Leverages existing home hardware and free/open-source DNS/VPN solutions rather than new bureaucracy.

 

 

 

Implications for Home Network Security

• Firmware Hardening: Parents update router firmware; learn to disable remote admin ports.
• Segmentation: VLANs separate children’s devices from sensitive home systems.
• Encrypted Tunnels: Mobile apps (e.g., WireGuard) ensure all traffic routes through the secured home gateway.
• Ongoing Education: Regular cybersecurity workshops foster community resilience against emerging threats.

Expanding on these measures, the proposal significantly reduces the attack surface of homes across the UK. By educating parents on firmware hardening, the risk of vulnerabilities due to outdated software is minimized. Segmentation through VLANs ensures that sensitive systems, such as personal computers and IoT devices, are isolated from children’s devices, reducing the likelihood of lateral attacks within the network.

Encrypted tunnels further enhance security by ensuring that all traffic from children’s devices is routed through a secure home gateway, preventing exposure to malicious networks when outside the home. The emphasis on ongoing education ensures that parents remain vigilant and informed about emerging threats, fostering a proactive approach to cybersecurity.

Collectively, these measures create a robust defense-in-depth strategy, empowering families to protect their digital environments effectively. This approach not only addresses immediate security concerns but also establishes a culture of cybersecurity awareness and resilience within communities.

 

 

Comparison with Blanket Regulations

 

Criteria	Parental Education & Tunneling	Online Safety Act 2025
Data Collection	None—filters run locally with minimal logging under parental control.	Mandatory service provider data retention and sharing with regulators.
Privacy Impact	Low: no third-party analytics; logs stored privately.	High: personal data aggregated by platforms, analytics firms, and gov’t.
Freedom of Expression	Flexible filtering lists; parents adjust settings per household values.	Risk of over-blocking, chilling effects on lawful speech.
Enforcement	Voluntary, community-driven; peer support networks.	Top-down fines, platform duties, potential platform self-censorship.
Scalability	Leverages digital literacy infrastructure in schools and communities.	Requires large-scale bureaucratic oversight and compliance costs.
Cyber Threats	Reduces the cyber attack surface of the UK by empowering families with tools and knowledge to secure their networks.	Increases the cyber attack surface by requiring private companies to collate users’ personal data and official documentation for age checks.

 

 

 

Expanded Analysis

Political Implications

The Online Safety Act 2025 reflects a disconnect between policymakers and the realities of technology implementation. While the act aims to protect children online, it inadvertently creates vulnerabilities by centralizing data collection and imposing rigid compliance measures.

This proposal offers a more practical and empowering alternative:

• Cost Savings: By shifting the focus to parental education, the proposal eliminates the need for expensive regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.
• Enhanced Digital Literacy: Parents gain hands-on experience with cybersecurity tools, fostering a culture of responsibility and awareness.
• Community Resilience: Educated parents can share knowledge and support peers, creating a collaborative network that strengthens digital safety across communities.
• Preservation of Rights: Unlike the Online Safety Act, this proposal respects individual freedoms and privacy, avoiding intrusive data collection and reporting requirements.

By addressing the root causes of online safety concerns through education and empowerment, this proposal aligns with the principles of effective governance and community-driven solutions. It demonstrates that safeguarding children online does not require sacrificing privacy or imposing burdensome regulations, but rather investing in the knowledge and capabilities of families.

 

Social Benefits

Empowering parents with technical skills not only enhances online safety but also builds community resilience. Parents who understand cybersecurity can share knowledge, support peers, and contribute to a safer digital environment for all.

Additionally, these skills will be passed down to new generations over the coming decades, strengthening the UK by fostering early adoption of cybersecurity practices among children. This early exposure will encourage children to pursue careers in the cybersecurity industry, driving innovation and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global cybersecurity advancements.

 

 

Conclusion

By equipping parents with the skills to implement router-based filtering and encrypted tunneling, this proposal transforms online safety from impersonal regulation to empowered guardianship. It emphasizes the importance of parental responsibility, providing families with the tools and knowledge to create tailored, secure digital environments.

This approach respects privacy and freedom by avoiding intrusive data collection and mandatory reporting, ensuring that families retain control over their digital lives. By leveraging existing technologies and community-driven education, the proposal offers a cost-effective and scalable solution that strengthens home network security and reduces the cyber attack surface across the UK.

Furthermore, the long-term benefits of this model extend beyond immediate safety measures. By fostering early adoption of cybersecurity practices among children, it lays the groundwork for future innovation and resilience in the cybersecurity industry. Parents who understand and implement these measures not only protect their families but also contribute to a culture of digital literacy and responsibility that will benefit society as a whole.

This proposal represents a sustainable, rights-preserving path to keeping children safe online, demonstrating that effective governance can empower individuals without sacrificing freedoms or imposing burdensome regulations.