Where Are VPNs Banned or Restricted & What To Use Instead

What are VPNs?

A VPN or “virtual private network” is a service that uses encryption to safeguard your internet traffic and hides your IP address from your internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP is the gatekeeper between you and the internet. Everything you do online goes through it and can be seen and tracked by it.

With a VPN, your internet requests will still travel through the ISP, but they will be encrypted. The ISP will only be able to see that you are connected to a VPN and that encrypted traffic travels between your device to a server. But it won't be able to see the websites you visit anymore.

This is a simplified view of how the flow of traffic looks without a VPN and with a VPN:

Without VPN: Device > ISP > Internet

With VPN: Device > VPN Client > Internet Service Provider > VPN Server > Internet

Why do people use VPNs?

There are many reasons why someone might wish to connect to the internet using a VPN. Businesses, remote workers, gamers, or just your average netizens can all benefit from VPNs.

Here are just a few reasons:

Safely use Public WiFi

Public Wi-Fi is much safer than it used to be thanks to the fact that more than 80% of all websites use HTTPS, but there are still some security risks of using open WiFi hotspots. For example, the network providers have the ability to snoop and sniff at any data you send over it, including the sensitive stuff like passwords and financial details. Using a VPN to connect to public WiFi will encrypt your traffic at their servers before passing it on to the wider web.

Access regional content

If you're on holiday or traveling for work and you want to unwind in the evening with an episode of your favorite TV show. But you can't. Because your streaming service knows you're trying to connect from a region where that content isn't accessible. VPNs can let you spoof your location by switching to a server in another country giving access to geo-blocked content.

But it's not just TV shows that can be geo-blocked. In some countries, which we'll get into soon, news sites or social media platforms are blocked. The aim is to restrict access to content or opinions that don't support the narrative of the ruling party. VPNs allow people to access the web freely, without borders.

Secure work from home

Remote has become the working norm for many thanks to a certain virus. The move put a lot of businesses at risk as employees had to access important files from their home systems which wouldn't necessarily have the same security standards as the business. VPNs give remote workers an extra layer of security by connecting to private servers and using encryption to reduce the risk of data leakage.

Privacy (kind of)

While a VPN will not make you anonymous (only Hoody can do that, see below!), they do help to give you a little more privacy online. We use the term lightly though, as the only way a VPN can add to your privacy is by hiding your IP address. VPNs are not a complete privacy tool.

But hiding your IP address does make it harder for anyone to snoop on you, including your Internet Service Provider and other third parties. If you're someone who has to hide their real location when posting online, say from an authoritarian government for example, then VPNs certainly do come in handy.

VPN banned countries: restrictions and reasons

Some countries have governments in power that don't want their people to have access to content or share ideas that disagree with the ruling dogma. Banning or restricting VPNs is a form of internet censorship that governments use in an attempt to maintain control.

Below is a list of VPN banned countries or countries that have restrictions in place. We also explore the specific reasons why.

Belarus

Officially, censorship goes against the very constitution of Belarus. In reality, however, things are a little different. In fact, Belarus has a “Not Free” status according to Freedom House and their country report on Internet Freedom. Belarus has banned any technology that enables anonymity online, that includes VPNs, proxies, and Tor. That said, it's not clear how enforced this ban is as VPNs continue to be one of the most sought-after apps in Belarus.

China

When you research the topic of VPN banned countries, China is always on the list. But VPNs banned in China are a more complicated issue than you might think.

The use of VPNs in China is rather sketchy. While it is officially legal to use VPNs it really only applies to businesses rather than the general population. These VPNs allow Chinese companies to do business with the rest of the world. But these legal VPNs are government approved with a backdoor that grants them access but basically undermines the VPN's security.

All other VPNs are banned in China. However, illegal VPNs are often used to bypass China's “Great Firewall” which bans many websites and social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia.

If people are caught using the VPNs banned in China, they can face prison time and hefty fines. In 2017, a man was sentenced to five and a half years and fined 500,000 yuan (approximately $69,000) for providing VPNs. In the same year, China requested the removal of all VPN apps from the China Apple Store, stating that they didn't meet “legal requirements”.

India

India is another interesting entry on our list of VPN banned countries. It is legal to use a VPN in India but there are restrictions for VPN providers. But the restrictions could be enough to make you not want to use them.

In mid-2022, India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) passed a law that requires all VPN providers to collect and store user data for five years. The mandatory data collection includes names, IP addresses, usage patterns, and other forms of identifiable data. Any VPN provider that doesn't comply, could face up to a year in prison.

Iran

VPNs are currently legal but not for long— there are plans to criminalize them. A bill proposed in June 2022 is set to make the production and distribution of VPNs and proxy services illegal. The only “authorized” VPNs are those approved by the government but you can be certain they're censoring and monitoring them.

The demand for external VPN services in Iran has skyrocketed, increasing by over 3000%. The astronomical rise is due to the internet clampdown by the government amidst countrywide protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iraq

Internet content and usage are often restricted in Iraq, especially during times of unrest with social media sites, chat apps, and more being blocked. In 2014, the government made VPNs illegal to prevent ISIS from spreading propaganda and recruiting on social media. Although the ban is still in place it's not strongly enforced.

Myanmar

Since the Junta took power in 2021, there has been heavy internet censorship in the country, causing an increased demand for VPNs. The military has responded by introducing plans for a new cyber-law that would make the use of VPNs illegal. The proposal made in January 2022 hasn't come into force yet but there have already been reports of authorities stopping people on the street to check their phones for VPNs. Any privacy software found on their device could land them in jail for up to three years.

North Korea

Internet censorship in North Korea is pretty much absolute with 99.9% of the general population having no global internet access. While outside connections do exist, they are reserved for government officials, scientific researchers, or select businesses. But even those will be under surveillance.

Instead, the general public uses a national intranet called “Kwangmyong,” which only presents state-approved content. Even though North Koreans can't access the internet and VPNs don't connect to the intranet, using VPN services within the country is illegal for citizens.

For foreign visitors and ex-pats, the law seems to be a bit more relaxed. You can access the global internet but it's unlikely to be a secure connection. There are VPN providers that offer services for visitors to North Korea, but it's unclear exactly what the authorities take on foreigner use of VPNs in the country is. Air on the side of caution.

Oman

Much like the VPNs banned in China, VPN use in Oman is a murky area. The official line is that VPNs are illegal as the country bans any form of encrypted communication. A law that, if it were to be enforced completely, would render it illegal to visit any HTTPS website! Nonetheless, under the law, VPNs have been banned since 2010 — but only for individuals.

Businesses, institutions, and organizations can use government-approved VPNs, but in order to legally do so, they have to apply to the Telecom Regulation Authority (TRA) for permission.

While individual use of VPNs is illegal, the ban isn't commonly enforced. VPN use in Oman is popular, as many use them to circumvent the ban on VoIP services such as Skype and WhatsApp. These services are thought to be banned to protect the profits of Omantel, the telecommunication company, in which the government is the largest shareholder.

Pakistan

VPNs are still legal in Pakistan, but a new law passed has severely undermined the privacy of VPNs. In September 2022, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) made an announcement declaring all VPN use must be registered by the end of October 22.

The authority hasn't yet mentioned what the penalty for non-registration will be, only that users must do so to “avoid disruption”. But netizens and digital rights activist groups have voiced concerns that this is a step towards state surveillance or the banning of unregistered VPNs.

Russia

Use of VPNs in Russia is legal, but illegal to access Russian-blocked sites. Russia has had restrictions on VPNs since 2017 when it declared that VPN providers could only operate in the country if they altered their protocols to comply with state laws. In particular, the law stated that VPNs could not allow Russian users to gain access to Russia's blacklisted websites.

Non-compliance could result in hefty fines for both the VPN and the user. In 2019, Russia added to this by demanding that VPN providers link their servers to the censorship agency, known as Roskomnadzor. This resulted in many VPN providers leaving the country.

Despite this, VPN use in Russia has continued to rise, spiking with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The day after Russia banned Facebook for being an “extremist organization”, the demand for VPNs in the country leaped by more than 1000%.

Sri Lanka

While it is legal to use VPNs in Sri Lanka, there are reports of unlimited data packages from certain Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that automatically block all VPNs. They will also block torrent sites and the use of the instant messaging service, Telegram.

Türkiye

Türkiye (Turkey) is another country where VPNs although technically legal are restricted. The government has blocked many VPNs. Even the German government warned its citizens traveling to the country about the use of VPNs in Türkiye and the possibility of legal action.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is one of the most censored countries in the world, with just one government-owned ISP available so it's no surprise to see it on a VPN banned countries list. People have to fill in application forms to request internet access in their homes. There are reports that before being granted permission, applicants are asked to swear on the Quran that they won't use VPNs. Websites providing access to VPNs have also been blocked while others have had their speed drastically reduced in an attempt to cut them off.

Uganda

Uganda has a history of internet censorship and since the General Elections in 2016 when the government switched off access to social media sites, VPNs have been on the rise. A trend that only continued when the government introduced a social media tax, also known as the Over the Top (OTT) tax. They also threatened to arrest anyone found to be using VPNs to avoid the tax and ordered networks to block VPNs.

Neither of these worked. So, their new tactic since July 2021 has been to force internet users to pay 12% tax on internet data, plus 18% VAT. It doesn't make VPNs illegal but it is an act of internet censorship by making internet access unaffordable for businesses and individuals.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE has a bit of a strange approach to VPNs. They're legal until you use them to commit a crime...makes sense. So what exactly constitutes a crime? Is it just fraud or inciting terrorist activity? Or is circumventing Netflix's geo-blocks enough to land you in jail and slap you with a fine that could be more than $5 million?

Well, according to a report in the Gulf News, yes, it is. In the UAE, using a VPN to access VoIP apps such as WhatsApp or to get around geo-blocks on streaming sites is illegal and punishable by law. You have been warned.

What can you use instead of a VPN?

Although VPNs have been a lifesaver (sometimes literally) for many people in countries with restrictive internet policies and censorship, they do have their downsides. VPNs aren't the mighty privacy tools they claim to be and they do not provide complete anonymity. This is a common misconception, and depending on which country you're in, a dangerous one.

All VPNs hide is your IP address — they are basically a glorified proxy server with an added layer of encryption. But your IP address isn't the only way to track you online. Digital fingerprinting is a much more invasive process and VPNs just aren't built to deal with it.

But Hoody is.

Digital fingerprinting is the collection of multiple data points that add up to one thing...YOU. Hoody has been carefully designed to spoof every single one of these data points so that you cannot be identified online. Hoody ensures absolute bulletproof anonymity online.

When it comes to bypassing censorship, Hoody makes the process much more streamlined than using VPNs. Hoody Smart Routing™ automatically connects the user to the desired website using a server location that isn't being censored. This means no more endless searching or switching between servers just to find one that works. Hoody does it for you!

Although you connect to Hoody in a similar way to VPNs and it works in a similar way, Hoody has another major advantage over VPN providers...

We're brand new, meaning our servers aren't on any government or streaming site blacklist. With no one looking for Hoody servers, you can slip through geo-blocks, bypass censorship, and under the radar undetected.

If you want to access government-banned websites or content or be able to communicate freely with the rest of the world AND do it anonymously, then Hoody is not just the best option, it's your only option.

Hoody App is here! Sign up for a Hoody FREE TRIAL and start enjoying absolute privacy and anonymity online.