Avoiding censorship: Pakistan sees a “6,000%” increase in VPN demand

The internet privacy startup Proton said on Wednesday that it will provide a network of free virtual private networks (VPN) servers for usage in many election-year-holding nations with a track record of censorship and repression.

Proton, a company located in Switzerland, stated that its goals were to assist local people in getting over government censorship and to stop manipulation or false information during election campaigns.

According to the corporation, monitoring the demand for its VPN services allows it to identify government crackdowns and attacks on free expression in advance.

Proton reported seeing significant increases in demand over the last 12 months in some locations. It claimed to have witnessed demand increases of 100,000% in Senegal, 25,000% in Gabon, 6,000% in Pakistan, and 4,700% in Nepal, “all in response to political or civil unrest”.

Proton stated that it is critical to offer widespread access to virtual private network services, which may be used to get past internet restrictions and obtain information without restriction, in a year when over half of the world’s population will cast ballots.

Turkey, South Sudan, Venezuela, and Sri Lanka were among the nations to which the business declared it would supply its free servers.

“2024 is going to be a seismic year for democracy worldwide,” according to a statement from Andy Yen, the CEO of Proton.

“Many of the countries holding elections have a questionable track record for free speech and a free electoral process,” he said.

“Protecting free speech and fighting censorship is a core part of our mission and we’re committed to doing what we can to help voters around the world exercise their fundamental rights.”

Proton, which is well-known for its encrypted email service, said that it will provide free local servers to customers who appear to be coming on from the nation where the election is taking place for two weeks leading up to and following major elections.

The corporation stated that the technological implementation will change based on the national conditions.

It said that it might provide VPN servers in nations where it is unable to have a physical presence by utilizing its “smart routing technology”.

It added that even if the servers are close by, they can still get around government restrictions.

“This means local users will be able to access the free, unfiltered internet at high speeds without servers being overloaded by users from the rest of the world,” Proton said.