VPNs have a mixed reputation, mainly because you can use the technology to hide your location and identity on the internet. Even the best VPNs can be used to hide crimes and make the perpetrators more difficult to trace. Fortunately, most of the world’s governments (at least for now) recognize that VPNs are just a technology that can be used for good or ill.

That means VPNs are legal in almost every country in the world. Countries that restrict VPNs tend to be those where internet freedoms are already restricted, such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. There are distinct gradations between countries, however. And the days of worry-free VPN access anywhere in the world are starting to show cracks: Currently free jurisdictions – including the UK, France and even several US states – are now considering restrictions.

Is it legal to use a VPN?

The answer is almost always yes. In every country except those listed in the next section, there is no legal penalty for visiting a VPN website, downloading a VPN or connecting to a VPN server.

In the past few years, however, some countries that were once beacons of online freedom have begun to consider restrictions. It is part of a chain reaction that begins with age verification laws for websites deemed harmful to children, particularly the UK’s Online Safety Act. Once everyone realizes that anyone can do it avoid OSA by using a VPN server in another country, UK politicians started also trying to ban VPNs. The same thing is now happening in France. In the US, Wisconsin and Michigan both have proposed age verification laws and VPN bans.

So far, however, none of the VPN restrictions have been passed into law. Some were defeated by the collective efforts of activists, including one Swiss proposal would have been forced Proton VPN to transfer.

In countries that ban or restrict VPN use, laws can take many forms. Some countries make all VPNs illegal to use. Others only allow government-approved VPNs — approval that usually comes from agreeing to share information with law enforcement. In some countries, using a VPN is legal, but you face additional penalties if you use one to commit a crime. I will examine all these categories in the next section.

Where are VPNs illegal?

This section is a complete list of countries where using a VPN is a legal risk. If a country isn’t on this list, you can assume it’s safe to use a VPN. Even countries with poor internet freedom scores, such as Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, often do not have anti-VPN laws to avoid intimidating international business.

An especially important note is that anti-VPN laws are more likely to be enforced against locals than foreigners. I’m not saying you should tempt fate, just know that there are very few cases of a traveler being charged in another country just for using a VPN.

Countries where VPNs are completely banned

VPNs are completely banned in four countries. The three of them— Belarus, Turkmenistan and North Korea — are isolated authoritarian regimes that restrict internet freedoms as part of nationwide crackdowns on all civil and political liberties. Iraq, while somewhat more liberal in general, VPNs were banned in 2014 in an attempt to kick the Islamic State off the internet. Twelve years later, the ban remains in place.

Uganda a special case. In 2018, the African country implemented the first in the world tax on social mediawhich the government called necessary to raise funds but was criticized as a backhanded attack on free speech. VPNs can circumvent taxes, so Ugandan internet service providers (ISPs) are required to block VPN traffic. However, there is no law on the books against using a VPN, as long as you bring a service that has some confusion (like NordVPN) you are good to go.

Countries where only authorized VPNs are allowed

More common than banning all VPNs is restricting VPN use to government-approved ones. This allows the powers that be to give limited VPN access to businesses for economic reasons, while it can also be used as a control method. It also means that VPNs with a license to operate are likely to report data or install surveillance backdoors.

Countries that regulate VPNs in this way are China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Bahrain, Myanmar, Pakistan, India, Turkey and Oman. These countries do not ban all VPNs, but target popular providers with frequent crackdowns and threats.

China specifically uses the so-called Great Firewall, the most sophisticated suite of censorship technologies in the world, to prevent citizens from even visiting the homepages of VPN companies. If you’re planning to travel to China and want to maintain access to the outside world, download a VPN before you go — and remember that using it while there technically puts you in violation of the law.

Russia is a textbook case of a selective VPN ban, with businesses allowed to use approved VPNs and all the rest to fight against the current mass blocks. Turkey’s autocratic government has also tried to curb VPN use by blocking VPN sites, but clumsy enforcement leaves many loopholes, allowing Instagram and other social media to remain a free speech line for Turks.

Countries with additional penalties for using VPNs to view blocked websites

In some countries, it is legal to use any VPN, but it is against the law to use it for illegal activities. You might say, “Duh, I know breaking the law is illegal,” but there is a significant difference – some crimes are worse than others. Just as you’ll get a much harsher sentence if you rob someone at gunpoint, you’ll face much higher penalties for using a VPN to view content that the government is trying to block. Countries that act like this include Vietnam, Egypt and the UAE.

Potential future VPN restrictions

Today, many countries that were once considered free and tolerant are proposing age verification laws, often for reasons of “think of the children!” When implemented – as the UK’s Online Safety Act shows – they effectively offer a choice between two equally unacceptable alternatives: Live in a censored version of the internet, or get wider access once you sacrifice your online anonymity.

VPNs are the easiest and most direct solution to this increased censorship, so both governments have it in their legislative crosshairs. The threat of enforcement chills free movement in a connected world where enforcers cannot be everywhere at once.

Currently, laws against VPN use are largely unclear, inconsistent and unfairly applied. As citizens, we can work to make our voices heard and fight against these initiatives before they become law. In the meantime, you can install your VPN of choice on as many devices as possible – and remove your other. a series of cybersecurity ducks while you’re at it.