
Political turmoil and military tensions see 24 internet restrictions imposed so far in 2025
One of the best VPNs, Surfshark, monitors cases of censorship through its Internet Shutdown Tracker and cases exceed those recorded in the first six months of 2024.
So far in 2025, 24 internet restrictions have been recorded in 10 countries/territories. The first six months of 2024 saw 20 restrictions in nine countries, with internet censorship going on to impact 4.8 billion people.
This trend could see even more people become victims of internet censorship by the end of 2025, and reinforces how vital it is to oppose internet censorship at every turn.
Of the 24 internet restrictions recorded, 15 occurred in Asian countries/territories. India imposed five restrictions, mostly as a result of protests taking place across several regions and cities. The disputed Jammu & Kashmir region also saw five restrictions amid political turmoil.
Iran was third on the list, recording three internet restrictions. These largely took place during the height of its military tensions with Israel and saw demand for VPNs peak at 707% over the baseline.
Congo DR, Iraq, Panama, and Venezuela all restricted the internet twice, while Kenya, Togo, and Tanzania recorded one case of internet restriction.
The Proton VPN Observatory saw a VPN spike of 12,000% over the baseline in Togo as protestors called for the president's resignation following controversial constitution changes.
NetBlocks, which works in partnership with Surfshark to run its tracker, reported at least three days of internet blackouts in Panama. This took place at the end of June and coincided with protests by banana workers.
According to Surfshark this was the first time Panama has imposed internet restrictions since the provider began monitoring data in 2015.
⚠️ Update: Metrics show the internet blackout in the Bocas del Toro Province of #Panama is in its third day, with emergency calls also impacted; the measure, imposed in response to banana workers' protests, continues to limit economic activity and freedom of expression pic.twitter.com/r6AZCEDl91June 24, 2025
"Over the years, governments have used internet shutdowns to control and silence journalists, activists, and the public," said Justas Pukys, VPN Product Manager at Surfshark.
"Internet blackouts can be dangerous, especially during critical events such as elections, protests, or other political turmoil. Losing internet access makes it harder to stay in touch with family members, access critical news outlets, and share urgent information with the world about unfolding events."
"Since internet access is now essential to basic human rights, it's more important than ever to track cases of mass censorship."
Social media is often seen as an easy target for authorities looking to impose restrictions. Social media restrictions differ from network restrictions but can occur simultaneously.
Surfshark reports that 24 countries are currently blocking social media or voice over IP (VOIP) services.
Telegram is the most targeted app, with X/Twitter close behind. Venezuela blocked Telegram in the early hours of January 11 as President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term. A few days earlier, Venezuela had gone on a VPN banning spree as 21 providers had their websites blocked.
In March, the Proton VPN Observatory recorded a VPN spike in Turkey of 1,100% over the baseline. The government restricted access to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X, as protests engulfed the country following the arrest of President Erdogan's main political rival.
TikTok was also blocked in Albania – another country imposing its first restriction – as a one-year ban came into effect in March.
The app famously went offline for a short period in the US as rumors surrounding its ban and/or potential purchase circled. President Trump has since extended the TikTok ban twice and it looks unlikely to be shut down again.
Although this move wasn't done with direct censorship in mind, and therefore not classed as an internet restriction, it shows that no country is immune to restrictions and it should be challenged at every level.
VPNs are on the front line when it comes to combating internet censorship, and they are a vital tool for those living under restricted conditions.
Many of the leading VPNs are effective at bypassing restrictions of varying severity. In most instances, all it takes to bypass blockages is connecting to a server in a different country and accessing the app or site being blocked.
But in some cases, you need one of the most private VPNs as government censorship is more sophisticated – China and Russia are the two leading examples here.
Advised for bypassing all restrictions, but especially important for sophisticated restrictions, is VPN obfuscation.
Obfuscated servers hide the fact you're using a VPN and make it harder for sites, internet service providers, and governments to block your traffic and identify you.
NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN all have obfuscated servers, as do other secure providers not featured in our best VPN list.
All of these providers have strict no-logs policies, which mean your internet traffic is never recorded, stored, shared, or sold. Double VPN or multi-hop features are also present. These route your traffic through two encrypted VPN servers, rather than the usual one, for added security.
Proton VPN champions anti-censorship features which are specifically designed to bypass internet restrictions and keep vulnerable users safe. These include Proton VPN Free, Guest Mode, and the ability to disguise its Android VPN app.
Many VPNs also offer free emergency VPN subscriptions to journalists, activists, and anyone living under internet censorship unable to access a free and open internet.
Providers like Proton VPN and Windscribe do this in the form of some of the best free VPNs, while others like NordVPN and Surfshark have dedicated emergency VPN programs.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NBC News
10 hours ago
- NBC News
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists, offering bounties for 15
HONG KONG — Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organizing or participating in the 'Hong Kong Parliament,' a group authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial 'Hong Kong Parliament' group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a 'Hong Kong constitution.' Police, who said the organization sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organized or run in the election and been sworn in as its councilors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. 'If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment,' they said in a statement.


Washington Post
10 hours ago
- Washington Post
U.S.-China trade war is a battle to build walls
The Trump administration wants to enlist Southeast Asian countries to build a giant wall around China. The idea is to reduce the countries' reliance on Chinese supply chains, ween them off Chinese exports, and get them to stop letting China transship goods through their ports to evade U.S. tariffs. This was a major point in President Donald Trump's recent trade deal with Vietnam, which imposes a 40 percent tariff on transshipped goods, almost all of which come from China. The Asian countries themselves, meanwhile, are talking about building a different kind of wall — a wall of self-reliance to insulate themselves from the unpredictable trade moves emanating from Washington. Asian leaders now talk incessantly about the need to increase intra-Asian trade as a counterweight to their overreliance on the American market. In April, President Xi Jinping spoke in favor of uniting the 'Asian family.' Chinese officials call this expanding the country's 'circle of friends.' And many Asians outside China seem to agree. 'We need to fortify our internal foundations,' Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations earlier this month. 'Trade more among ourselves, invest more in one another, and advance integration across sectors with resolve.' So whose wall is more likely to be built? China is clearly expanding its Asian trade. For more than a decade, it has been Southeast Asia's largest trading partner. China is right next door, after all, and has 1.4 billion consumers. And its long-standing trade ties appear to be deepening. In the first five months of this year, trade with Southeast Asia jumped more than 9 percent. In June, China's Southeast Asian exports surged by 16.8 percent year-over-year. Also, anecdotal evidence suggests that intra-Asian trade is growing. In Bangkok, anyone who calls for a GrabCar — the regional equivalent of Uber — is likely to get picked up in a new Chinese-made BYD or Aion electric car, rather than a Tesla. Japanese retail stores like Uniqlo, Isetan, Sogo and Muji dominate regional shopping malls. South Korean LG and Samsung, and Chinese Haier are the top-selling appliance brands. Sales of Chinese Xiaomi and Huawei smartphones now rival those of Apple iPhone. Of course, trade flows in both directions. Southeast Asian textiles, durian, frozen shrimp, rice, coconuts and other delicacies are finding their way onto a growing number of Chinese dinner tables, including in the hinterlands, thanks to China's new 21st century 'Maritime Silk Road.' Then there's Asia's undeniable cultural 'wall.' K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean beauty products are winning fans across the region. 'Squid Game' topped Netflix charts across Asia. But this is not to say that Asia might succeed in walling itself off from America. Steven Okun, an expert on international trade who is the CEO of APAC Advisors, a Singapore-based consultancy, explained the reality to me. 'First,' he said, 'the larger economies' — meaning South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia — 'are too exposed to the U.S. market and there is no replacing it.' 'Second, the countries are at least as afraid, if not more, of China coming in and dumping all their excess capacity into their markets — just as China has done to the U.S.,' Okun said. 'If any walls get built, it will be to keep the Chinese out.' In other words, the United States remains the global behemoth, a veritable vacuum for consumer products. American household spending hit an eye-popping $19 trillion in 2023 — double the figure for the European Union and nearly triple that of China. What's more, for many in Asia, the risk of becoming overly dependent on Beijing looms large. Indonesia has been actively strengthening its various antidumping laws, and recently even banned e-commerce giant Temu over fears it would destroy local businesses. Thailand is eyeing anti-circumvention duties on a host of imported products, mostly from China. Asians want to benefit from China's growth but avoid being crushed by its economic might. Trump's wall relies on rallying allies who are deeply dependent on the global economy and wary of China. China's wall relies on promoting regional self-sufficiency as a counterweight to Washington's unpredictability. Look for regional economic integration to increase. Two-way trade numbers will go up. There will be more Chinese smartphones, appliances and electric vehicles in Asian cities. But America's market dominance looks set to persist for years to come. Asian countries won't be able to wall themselves off anytime soon.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists, offers bounties for 15
By Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organizing or participating in the "Hong Kong Parliament", a group authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial "Hong Kong Parliament" group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a "Hong Kong constitution". Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a "one country, two systems" formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. "If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment," they said in a statement. Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the "Hong Kong Parliament" could be a criminal offense. ($1=7.8488 Hong Kong dollars)