Repressive governments around the world are making efforts to block or ban VPNs. They don’t like the fact that VPN helps you bypass the most sophisticated attempts to censor information. However, such legislation is usually unpopular and hard to implement.
As a VPN hides your online presence, it is used to protect your online privacy. A big benefit of VPNs is the encryption that ensures the privacy of all data sent over the internet. With a VPN in place, you can rest assured that no threat actor can eavesdrop on your internet activity over the same public Wi-Fi network as you. If the governments decide to ban VPN usage, it completely destroys your online privacy and anonimity.
The tunneling protocol combined with bank-grade encryption used by virtual private networks has the capability of locking down your internet activity, so that not only hackers, but even your ISP and government can’t intercept it.
Without VPN, does the Government get every bit of information?
A new broadband connection makes it easy for the internet service provider to track and monitor your online activity. The ISP owns the broadband connection and the modem/router at your home, and they may even remotely reset your internet configuration. The ISP can throttle speeds for certain websites or slow them down, block access to certain sites and monitor your browsing history in order to show relevant ads. VPN is the only tool you have at your fingertips that can help you avoid your Internet Service Provider.
No, the ISPs and government are not going to track what you do inside the website. They won’t track such as login details you enter. and how many times you scroll, unless the site is encrypted. They will only know which websites you visit, and how much time you spend in them.
Why are the governments worried about VPN?
Threat actors can mask their IP addresses online, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to track them. VPNs help internet users protect their identity and privacy online. But, on the other hand, cybercriminals can use them to avoid surveillance. The authorities can only track these criminal activities online by using a much more extensive surveillance system.
Some governments are worried that VPNs “allow criminals to remain anonymous online”. As a result, many unsolicited online activities remain undetected. Since these VPN services are readily available, threat actors can use them to remain hidden very easily.
Government Censorship
It is common for governments to impose strict Internet censorship in some areas. Governments may ban websites that do not support the culture and values of their country so that their residents cannot obtain information that goes against their ideology. And, they may also restrict the use of VPNs, blocking vendor sites and app stores so that the services are not downloadable.
Among the most prominent examples of government censorship, China remains at the top. Its Great Firewall blocks all kinds of sites, including Google, social media apps, YouTube, and some news sites. It also blocks the majority of VPNs, so you cannot circumvent its control.
If the Governments ban VPN, it will be a lot easier for them to track the cybercriminals. They have ‘acknowledged’ that cybercriminals only use VPNs to ‘access the dark web,’ completely overlooking that VPNs may be useful for other uncountable legitimate purposes as well.
