Are VPNs legal? When should you avoid using them?
While in most countries, using a VPN is completely legal, in others, this could even lead to jail time.
These are usually authoritarian states with high levels of censorship and some form of political repression.
Some of these countries not only consider VPNs illegal but also take action to block any VPN connections altogether.
This topic is relevant not only to those who live in authoritarian countries but also to those who are planning to travel to either of them.
Where are VPNs illegal or restricted?
VPNs are illegal/partly illegal in:
Turkey (partly illegal, some VPN providers are unavailable)
Russia (most VPNs are blocked due to not complying with the state legislature)
China (most VPNs and VPN connections are blocked due to the “Great Firewall of China”, which is meant to restrict access to various websites)
North Korea (The country has banned access to the World Wide Web altogether, aiming to replace it with their internal internet “Kwangmyong”. Trying to use a VPN in North Korea can end with jail time)
Belarus (VPNs and the Tor network are illegal after 2015).
UAE (using a VPN is not illegal; however, using a VPN to commit an illegal activity can result in additional fines or jail time. Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and several other voice-over IP (VoIP) services are illegal. Accessing anti-government content is considered a crime in the country.
Egypt (VPNs are not illegal, but using them to commit a crime is. VoIP apps or accessing anti-government content is illegal)
Venezuela (VPNs are not illegal, but the government blocks some VPN sites)
Uganda (VPNs are not illegal, but are being restricted, because they were used to circumvent the social media tax), Iraq (VPNs are illegal, and users can face punishment if caught)
Why are VPNs illegal?
VPNs are exclusively illegal in authoritarian countries or countries that have authoritarian tendencies and resort to political repression.
VPNs are illegal as they allow people to access content that’s disadvantageous to the regime.
Using a VPN for illegal activities in democratic countries, such as downloading copyrighted content, is still against the law.
How to choose a safe VPN?
These VPN features are meant to add an extra layer of security. However, they do not ensure complete online anonymity as there are other ways to track the user (browser fingerprinting, cookies, malware, etc.)
Additional features. Features such as Double VPN or Onion over VPN additionally route the traffic through either a second VPN server or the Tor network, encrypting the traffic twice and making it significantly harder to track the user.
Obfuscated servers. These servers hide the fact of using a VPN, allowing to bypassing of VPN restrictions in some cases.
No logs. No logs VPN service providers are not keeping any information about the user’s activity while the VPN is on bandwidth usage, connection timestamps, etc. Some providers not only adopt the “No logs” policy but also have proof of it. It is usually provided in the form of an independent audit by a reputable company, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Leaks. It’s important to make sure that the VPN doesn’t leak information that can be used to identify the user (IP/DNS). To test for IP or DNS leaks, visit IPv6-test.com and dnsleaktest.com with the VPN on.
Customer support. 24/7 chat support is important as they will be ready to answer any questions that might arise.
Kill switch. It shuts down access to the internet, preventing an IP leak in case the connection between the user and the VPN server drops.
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General information
The team behind NordVPN has also launched an eSIM service called Saily.
NordLabs was launched last year and serves as a platform for experimental projects and cutting-edge innovations. It gives everyone the opportunity to try out new tools and products, and explore emerging technologies, including machine learning and AI.
NordVPN
NordVPN allows 10 simultaneous connections and has dedicated apps for macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, AppleTV, AndroidTV, Linux, and other platforms.
At the moment, NordVPN offers over 7000 servers in 118 locations from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions, meaning that there are always fast servers to choose from, no matter the location.
NordVPN is a five-times audited no-logs service to ensure our users their online activities remain confidential, so your activities will be private and your devices risk-free.
If there are any questions about NordVPN, there’s a 24/7 customer support team that will help you out.
NordVPN uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys, rendering virtually brute-force attacks useless, meaning that users’ data will be as secure as possible.
NordVPN offers OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and NordLynx (an adaptation of WireGuard) protocols.
In addition to this, users can use NordWhisper: a protocol that helps bypass network filters and firewalls for smoother, more reliable browsing. Ideal for travelers, professionals, and public Wi-Fi users, it ensures secure access without compromising privacy.
NordVPN offers Specialty Servers (along with many other features) that further increase the user’s security or allow them to bypass restrictions:
- Dedicated IP
- Onion over VPN
- Double VPN
- Obfuscated servers
- P2P
Threat Protection Pro
Threat Protection Pro is a feature by NordVPN that provides an additional layer of security and is essentially a step beyond VPN protection.
Threat Protection Pro is meant to provide safer browsing by blocking malicious websites, phishing attempts, ads, and trackers, as well as identifying files infected with malware.
If you have a Windows device, Threat Protection Pro can also scan it for vulnerable apps that could be a security risk.
Threat Protection Pro is available on Plus, Complete, and Ultra plans.
There’s also the Threat Protection solution that offers some of the Threat Protection Pro’s functionality, but doesn’t block malicious links, phishing websites, or trackers.
It’s available on the Basic plan.
What is Meshnet?
Meshnet is a feature by NordVPN that lets users access devices or encrypted private tunnels.
Instead of connecting to a VPN server, users can connect to other devices anywhere.
All traffic on Meshnet is encrypted, just like when connected to a VPN server.
Meshnet opens up plenty of new possibilities: easier file sharing and working on joint projects, gaming parties, internet traffic routing, and more.
