1. China
While VPNs aren’t totally banned in China, residents can only use those approved by the government. Such VPNs must grant the Chinese government backdoor access when required, which some would argue defeats their purpose altogether. This is because giving the government access to VPN data essentially takes away the security element that should be offered to users.
So, what happens if you use an unapproved VPN in China? If you happen to get caught doing this, you could either be charged a fine or sentenced to prison time. Sentences for using an unapproved VPN in China can be as long as five years! It’s a big risk to use any kind of VPN that hasn’t been given the green light by the government in China.
2. Turkmenistan
In 2019, Turkmenistan began blocking VPN providers in an attempt to stop their use completely by residents. Turkmenistan is known to be pretty strict when it comes to internet use, so it’s no surprise that VPNs are now out of the question for the public. In fact, in 2021, the government stated that internet users would now have to swear on the Koran that they will not use a VPN when they sign up for an internet provider.
If you do use a VPN in Turkmenistan and get caught, you could get arrested and charged. However, some Turkmen residents still attempt to use a VPN whenever they can to stay under the government’s radar.
3. Belarus
In 2015, the Belarusian government made the move to totally ban the use of all kinds of online circumvention tools, including VPNs, proxies, and even the Tor browser. In short, no resident can use any kind of protocol to surf the web anonymously. But this hasn’t stopped Belarusian internet users from still using VPNs as the country’s continued crackdown on online freedom limits citizens more and more.
4. Turkey
In 2016, the Turkish government banned 10 VPN providers, as well as the Tor browser. This decision was allegedly made to protect the country’s national security and fight terrorism.
Turkey’s online restrictions have been a topic of contention for some time, with a number of big sites, including YouTube, being banned, and a bill being put forward requiring social media outlets to reveal users’ identities. Protests have even broken out in the past over the country’s digital censorship issues.
But, thankfully, VPNs aren’t totally illegal in Turkey. In fact, a number of big VPN providers can still be used legally within the country, including NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
5. North Korea
North Korea’s technological laws are known to be stricter than most, so it’s not surprising that the use of VPNs has been completely banned. It has been claimed that the unauthorized use of VPNs in North Korea can result in prison time, though it seems travelers spending a short period of time in the country can use a VPN without legal repercussions.
Along with VPNs, the North Korean government has also prohibited access to a wide range of websites that are commonplace in many other countries, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In fact, North Koreans do not have access to the regular internet. Instead, they have to use an intranet, which is far more limited, and only students and officials can access it.
6. Uganda
Though VPNs aren’t technically illegal in Uganda, all VPN traffic is blocked by the government. That’s because the Ugandan government introduced a tax for those who want to use social media in 2018. Though this tax is minimal, many residents do not want to pay it, which has given way to the increased use of VPNs.
But this new law didn’t last for long. In 2021, the Ugandan government decided to get rid of the social media tax, allowing people to use it freely once again. But residents are still sticking to VPNs to access blocked websites, communicate privately, and retain their online anonymity.
The Ugandan government has threatened to arrest those who continue to use a VPN, though many Ugandans continue to do so despite the possibility of criminal prosecution.
7. Russia
In 2017, as the use of VPNs started to skyrocket around the world, the Russian government began banning providers one by one. The government is known to have a tight hold on internet usage, so it’s no surprise that over a dozen providers have been banned so far, with more surely to come. The country has severely restricted the use of VPNs and proxies, and has totally banned the use of the Tor browser.
While corporate VPNs are still legal in Russia, President Putin himself has stated that other VPN providers must not allow users access to sites that have been black-listed by the government. However, there’s no real way to determine whether a VPN is personal or corporate, so this law is a little futile.
8. UAE
The United Arab Emirates, or UAE, made the use of VPNs illegal in 2016 after amending its Cyber Crimes Law. Encryption isn’t very highly regarded by the UAE’s government, and the way in which VPNs operate is now considered criminal in the country.
So, if you live in the UAE and you use a VPN, you could be subject to a fine or even a prison sentence. But the fines are by no means small. In fact, you could get charged over $100,000 if you get caught using a VPN in the UAE, so users are taking a huge risk by doing so.
However, the government states that a VPN can be used for a legitimate purpose. But what qualifies as “legitimate” is a little unclear, so many individuals still don’t really know if their reason for using one could be seen as a crime.
VPNs: Still Highly Controversial in Certain Places
Though VPNs are widely used in the majority of countries around the world, over a billion people still cannot access them legally. This may change over time, but for now, there is still a lot of contention surrounding the use of such online tools to remain anonymous.
