Pakistan's VPN Usage Goes Up by 6000%

The use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Pakistan saw an increase by a staggering 6000% after recent ban on social media platform X and overall increased censorship across the internet, as reported by Internet privacy company Proton. The company, headquartered in Switzerland, observed similar surges in other countries like Nepal, Gabon, and Senegal, with increases ranging from 4700% to 100,000%, all in response to political or civil unrest.

Proton has announced the launch of free VPN servers across countries holding elections this year to fight the implementation of censorship and propaganda by the government. The company treats the monitoring of VPN demand as an early warning sign of the government’s attempts to oppress the internet and stifle free speech.

The global outage of Meta (formerly Facebook) that resulted in huge financial losses only emphasizes the importance of freedom and openness on the internet. In particular, Proton mentions cases like Venezuela, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, and points out that countries encountering similar problems will be provided with a free VPN service.

Andy Yen, chief of Proton, said that the prosperity of democracy and freedom of speech can be undermined by the intensifying problems with electoral processes around the world. Yen notes that 2024 is a decisive year for democracy, which calls for countries to fight for free speech and fair elections.

VPNs, the instrument to go around the blockade of sites, have become critical instruments for humans to find a track in the digital landscape which is bounded by government-imposed obstacles. The discussion over the freedom of the internet is underway and the increase in VPN usage is one of the critical aspects that signify the value of maintaining basic human rights in the digital era.

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