Using VPNs for illegal activities such as hacking or cyberstalking is prohibited and can get you in trouble with the law. Legal uses of a VPN include protecting your online privacy, keeping your data safe from hackers and other entities, unblocking streaming content, and more. A VPN that lends itself very well to all these uses and more is NordVPN, thanks to its secure VPN protocols, large server network, solid speeds and great unblocking features. However, there are some countries whose governments don’t accept VPN use. Usually, these countries have dictatorial regimes or authoritarian leaders. Some examples would be North Korea, Belarus, and Iraq. Some regimes only allow government-approved virtual private networks, such as China, Russia, and Iran. This article explains which countries ban VPNs and why. It’ll also dive into many of the legal uses of a VPN.
When is Using VPNs Illegal?
To put it simply, using a VPN is illegal in two cases: Sometimes circumventing geo-restrictions can also result in violations of the law or companies’ terms of service. For example, the use of a VPN to stream content on Netflix can constitute a violation of its terms of service. However, the above does not make VPN use itself illegal. Instead, you may be subject to consequences such as a cancellation or suspension of membership. The following sections provide a breakdown of which countries ban or heavily regulate VPN use and why.
Why is It Illegal to Use a VPN in Some Countries?
VPN use is mostly forbidden in countries with authoritarian laws such as North Korea, Belarus, and Iraq. Governments in these countries limit internet freedom, as well as the freedom of the press. Moreover, these governments tend to block social media and critical news websites for internet users in the country. The image below shows countries that use online censorship on a huge scale and their main motivations for doing so. To access blocked websites and online services, many civilians, tourists, expatriates, journalists, and whistleblowers use a VPN or proxy server. When using a VPN, they are all able to circumvent online censorship while also anonymizing all their online data. As expected, the above has caused various governments to ban VPNs. By banning VPNs, governments hope to achieve a few objectives:
In Which Countries Is Using a VPN Illegal?
We’ve already named a couple of countries where a VPN is illegal. For the sake of clarity, we’ve listed all countries known to block, punish, or heavily regulate VPNs in the table below. It isn’t always clear whether VPN connections are actually forbidden and what kind of punishment to expect when you do use one. Regardless, using a virtual private network in any of these places is a significant risk. Now, we’ll discuss each of these countries’ stances on VPN use in a bit more detail:
Belarus
Belarus made VPN use illegal in 2015. Using a VPN could get you a fine of an unspecified amount. From 2016 onwards, it has also been illegal to use the Tor browser in Belarus. Like many countries on this list, Belarus has banned VPNs and Tor to prevent its citizens from accessing foreign websites. In fact, in 2012, Belarus enacted strict laws regulating foreign website use and established a fine of roughly $120 for breaking these. Make sure to check out our complete article on censorship in Belarus to learn more.
China
VPN use in China is legal, but only if you have a VPN that’s been approved by the government. These government-approved VPNs must comply with strict privacy-invading rules, such as logging and storing your data. Needless to say, this defeats the main purpose of a VPN. Currently, most commercial VPNs are blocked in China, and if you’re caught using one you risk a fine of over $2000. Fortunately, there are still some real VPNs that work in China, such as NordVPN.
Egypt
Egypt’s government has been using Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to block several VPN protocols (PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN) since 2017. The country has also been blocking numerous websites and services for a long time. Although VPNs aren’t officially illegal, Egypt has made it very hard to use a VPN to enjoy free internet within its borders. Read our complete article on online censorship in Egypt to learn more.
Iran
From 2013 onwards, using a non-government-approved VPN has been illegal in Iran. Government-approved VPNs have to monitor their users’ online activity. Anyone involved in the development or distribution of VPNs that aren’t government-approved may face up to two years in prison. Make sure to check out our article on the best VPNs to stay safe and anonymous in Iran.
Iraq
Iraq introduced a complete VPN ban in 2014, also blocking internet access to some social media and other services. Their main motivation was that it would help them fight IS. These laws are still active, even though IS no longer has the country in its grip.
North Korea
North Korea is known for its strict censorship. It doesn’t even allow civilians to use the regular internet. VPNs are forbidden, but since North Korea is so closed off from the rest of the world, the consequences of VPN use in this country are unknown.
Oman
From 2010 onwards, only corporate VPNs have been allowed in Oman. These also have to be approved by Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). These VPNs are obligated to keep web usage logs.The VPN ban is, as you’d expect, meant to prevent Oman’s citizens from bypassing its censorship. Trying to bypass Oman’s internet censorship laws can result in a large fine of 500 Omani Rials (about $1,300).
Russia
Russia is another country that only allows government-approved VPNs. However, we strongly recommend against using these, as they have to provide all their user data to the Russian government.In 2019, Roskomnadzor (the Russian national media control force) gave several well-known VPNs thirty days to grant them access to all Russian users’ data. Many VPNs responded by shutting down their Russian servers.Moreover, In September 2021, Roskomnadzor banned NordVPN, ExpressVPN, IPVanish VPN, Hola VPN, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited, and Speedify VPN in Russia. Russia’s VPN ban isn’t just all bark and no bite. In fact, using a non-government-approved VPN provider can set you back 300,000 RUB (over $4,000). Providing an unauthorized VPN service carries an even heavier fine: 700,000 RUB. We have an article about VPNs that work in Russia and that have advanced features to keep you out of trouble.
Syria
Using a VPN isn’t necessarily illegal in Syria. However, since 2011 some VPN connections are being blocked, as the government blocks certain VPN protocols. It’s uncertain how successful these attempts are.
Turkey
To keep citizens from accessing blocked websites, the Turkish government has restricted VPN use. Attempts are made to detect and block VPN connections by means of DPI. Therefore, using a VPN in Turkey might not always work. Moreover, it can make you more of a target for the government: their watchful eyes will be studying you more closely. The Turkish government has stated they block VPNs in the interest of national security and fighting terrorism. In 2016, Turkey blocked 10 VPN services, along with the Tor network. As far as penalties for bypassing Turkish censorship go, the main parties that seem to be punished are people who are critical of the government, not necessarily those who just access illegal content. Click here for more information on internet censorship in Turkey.
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan heavily censors and restricts the internet in order to block foreign media. In fact, “internet users” in Turkmenistan don’t have access to the regular internet. Instead, they can only use “Turkmenet.” This is a heavily modified and censored version of the internet, only available in Turkmen. Turkmenet is offered by Turkmen Telecom, which is the only communications and internet service provider in Turkmenistan. Needless to say, Turkmenistan’s government is heavily opposed to VPN use. It’s not easy to use a VPN in the country, as the websites of providers offering these aren’t available on Turkmenet. Moreover, in the past, internet users in the country have been forced to swear on the Koran they wouldn’t use a VPN. In 2020, police officers raided several marketplaces and electronic stores. They suspected that people working there were installing VPNs on customers’ devices.
Uganda
Uganda introduced a social media tax in 2018. To get around this tax, many citizens started using VPNs. The government then ordered ISPs to block VPN users ever since. It recently threatened to arrest VPN users even though VPNs are not technically illegal.
United Arab Emirates
In the UAE, only organizations can use a VPN without restrictions (as long as they don’t break the law). As for consumers, they can only use a government-approved VPN. VoIP services such as Skype aren’t allowed, either. That’s because the UAE’s government prefers their citizens to use local telecom services Etislat and Du, presumably because they make money off these services. Find out more about internet censorship in the UAE by reading our complete article on this topic.
How are VPN Bans Enforced?
These are the main methods governments use to enforce VPN bans:
Demanding access to user data, which will often cause providers not to have servers in that country Blocking VPN providers’ websites Using deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect meta that points to a VPN connection and block the connection
Generally, internet service providers (ISPs) play an important role in enforcing VPN bans, especially as far as the second and third enforcement methods go. In most countries that ban VPNs, getting ISPs to cooperate with VPN bans is quite easy, as the government can impose large taxes, heavy fines, or a complete ban on any ISPs who refuse to comply.
What Happens If You Use a VPN Illegally?
A lot of countries that ban VPNs don’t mess around when it comes to blocking or punishing people who find creative ways around the ban. As we’ve seen above, different things can happen when you use a VPN in such a country:
Your connection might simply get blocked and you won’t be able to browse the web. You could get caught and face a hefty fine. You might get caught and face a jail sentence.
Beware that it’s not just VPN use that can get you in trouble. In fact, a lot of governments care much more about what you’re doing with your VPN than the VPN use itself. For instance, in some countries, such as Turkey, people criticizing the government using a VPN can face great danger, even though Turkey claims they banned VPNs for national security and not for political reasons.
How to Get Around VPN Bans
Getting around VPN bans can be tricky, especially in countries that use advanced VPN-detection mechanisms, such as China. Fortunately, if you get a reliable VPN with technology that combats these detection systems, there’s still hope. Here are some features to look out for when picking a safe VPN to use in strict countries. We recommend NordVPN for use in any country that bans VPNs because it has the technology to combat government blocks. Moreover, NordVPN offers a vast server network. This ensures you’ll have a stable connection and good speeds. Last but not least, NordVPN is very affordable and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
When is Using a VPN Legal? Legitimate VPN Uses
Luckily, in most countries, VPNs are legal. Despite their use being banned in the above nations, VPNs are considered an effective tool to ensure privacy and security online. There are many good reasons to use a VPN. And many governments acknowledge the merits of VPN usage. Some of these are: For a deep dive into the reasons why you may want to use a VPN, we’d like to refer you to our full article on VPNs and their uses.
Why Do VPNs Have a Bad Reputation?
After reading about all of these advantages, you may be wondering why VPNs have such a bad reputation despite having many legal and useful applications. The simple answer is that VPNs have been used to conduct and cover up criminal activities. VPNs allow for anonymous and private browsing. While this is not illegal by itself, it can be used to become less easy to track while: hacking devices, spreading malware, or downloading illegal content. Illegal activity gives useful cybersecurity solutions a bad name. However, it’s important to remember that the use of a VPN for legal reasons is allowed in most countries. In fact, VPNs are an essential tool to maintain privacy in the digital age. So, if you’re wondering if VPNs are worth using, in most cases the answer is yes.
Final Thoughts: Learn More About VPNs
Now that you know that VPNs are completely legal in most countries, you might have become more interested in using one. If that’s the case, you’re welcome to learn more about VPNs by reading our extensive articles on their advantages, disadvantages, and other characteristics:
What is a VPN? How Does it Work and Why Do You Need One? What are the Advantages of a VPN? Disadvantages of a VPN VPN vs. Antivirus: Do You Need Both? What’s the Difference? 6 Types of VPN Protocols, Compared: Which is the Best to Use?
