Proton VPN Observatory (2025)

+11000% increase over baseline

VPN spike in the days leading up to Guinea's presidential election that will be held on December 28, the first since the 2021 coup and after a divisive constitutional reform earlier this year.

+350% increase over baseline

Protests in the country against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government policies. The protests focused on economic austerity measures, cost-cutting proposals, and Fico's pro-Russian/China foreign relations amid international criticism.

+7000% increase over baseline

VPN usage spiked around the aftermath of a constitutional referendum, which approved a new constitution paving the way for the military junta led by Mamadi Doumbouya to transition toward elections. Reports of restricted access to platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook during the vote period.

+900% increase over baseline

Kuwait has blocked access to the online gaming platform Roblox. This follows similar bans in Qatar, Turkey, Iran, China, Jordan, and Oman, citing threats to child safety and content concerns.

+420% increase over the baseline

Qatar has officially blocked access to the online gaming platform Roblox, citing child safety concerns. This follows similar bans in Turkey, Iran, China, Jordan, and Oman, citing threats to minors' safety and moral standards.

+270% increase over the baseline

People took to the streets to protest against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election supposed to be held later this year, in October.

+350% increase over baseline

Escalating nationwide protests triggered by a government-imposed fuel price hike. The surge aligned with reports of planned anti-government demonstrations in Luanda and ongoing public outrage over rising living costs.

+800% increase over baseline

Spike in VPN usage amid fragile ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand border clashes. The surge aligned with ongoing reports of ceasefire violations, diplomatic tensions, and reported blocking of several Thai media outlets.

+1200% increase over baseline

As of July 25, Ofcom is set to begin enforcing the Online Safety Act, requiring all user generated content sites to verify the age of their users resulting in a +1400% hourly increase in signups that day.

+200% increase over the baseline

Tanzania's main opposition party has been barred from participating in this year's election, days after its leader was charged with treason, amid widespread concerns over political repression and worsening economic conditions.

+12000% increase over the baseline

Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in Togo’s capital Lomé as President Faure Gnassingbé faced increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely.

+5500% increase over baseline

Connectivity has been partially restored in the country following a near-total internet blackout imposed since June 18 amid escalating conflict.

+800% increase over the baseline

Nationwide demonstrations in the country to commemorate the first anniversary of mass anti-tax protests held in 2024 during which 60 died. This year's demonstrations were marked by clashes with security forces that left at least eight dead and hundreds injured. Social media platform Telegram had been restricted, amid rising concerns over the risk of a wider internet shutdown.

+1100% increase over the baseline

On the day the 2025 baccalaureate exams began, certain social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) were temporarily blocked during exam hours. In previous years, each baccalaureate exam session was accompanied by a widespread internet shutdown across the country.

+400% increase over the baseline

Aylo has blocked access to its websites in France because of its objections to a new French law requiring adult content sites to verify the age of their users in a manner that they claim is insecure which resulted in a +1000% hourly increase in signups that day.

+500% increase over the baseline

Vietnam's technology ministry has ordered telecommunication service providers to block the messaging app Telegram, citing a lack of cooperation in combating alleged crimes.

+330% increase over the baseline

Access to the social media platform X has been restricted in Tanzania after some official accounts of government and private institutions were targeted by hackers amid ongoing crackdown on political opposition in the country ahead of the general election later this year.

+480% increase over baseline

Nationwide protests in the country over the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to suppress dissent, crackdowns on free speech, and the worsening economic hardship in the country.

+790% increase over baseline

Nationwide "stay away" protests shut down schools, businesses, and public transport across the country and call for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's resignation amid economic hardship.

+14000% increase over baseline

Access to Facebook has been blocked in the country, framed as a “test” of the government’s capacity to curb social media during national‑security threats. The unannounced shutdown sparked widespread concern over transparency and potential political motives.

+1100% increase over the baseline

Turkish authorities detained President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival Ekrem Imamoglu, the Istanbul mayor, days before his expected nomination as presidential candidate for Türkiye's main opposition party. Restrictions have also been reported on several social media platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

+ 1200% increase over the baseline

Albanian authorities have ordered all internet service providers to block access to TikTok in the country by Thursday, March 13, amid concerns over violence among children. A similar ban took place in April last year in Kyrgyzstan.

+120% increase over the baseline

Myanmar’s military junta announced that it would hold elections, for the first time since seizing power in a 2021 coup, in December 2025 or January 2026. A promise denounced as a "sham" by experts who fear further violence in the run-up to any poll.

+ 110% increase over the baseline

Operators in the country have been asked to block certain IP addresses on their networks, wrongly affecting numerous popular services like Instagram, Bluesky, X, Github... Resulting in millions of users not being able to access more than 3,300 Spanish-language websites.

+100% increase over the baseline

Kazakh’s President has signed into law a controversial bill on mass media that will hinder journalists from getting comments from officials and interviews, raising concerns from domestic and international rights groups and media experts.

+7000% increase over baseline

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured eastern DRC’s largest city of Goma as conflict intensifies in the central African nation.

+350% increase over baseline

Presidential elections: significant increase in VPN demands ahead of the presidential elections in the country scheduled on January 26, reportedly by fear of potential censorship or internet shutdowns.

+5200% increase over baseline

The South Sudan government ordered a social ban amid unrest in the country, directing all Internet Service Providers to block access to social media for a maximum of 90 days, starting from midnight that day.

+520% increase over baseline

TikTok went offline in the United States on the night of January 18, a few hours before a ban was slated to go into effect.

+5000% increase over baseline

Reported block of TikTok and several VPN websites in Venezuela and reportedly fear of tensions in the country ahead of Maduro’s inauguration scheduled on January 10.