Proton VPN sign-ups were 320% above normal levels in Egypt on Monday, amid reports of Discord being banned by several ISPs in the country. This continues a spike that began over the weekend.
It’s unclear just how far any ban extends, and on whose authority it may have been approved, but it appears to include WE (operated by Egypt’s state telecom company) and Vodafone.
Though there has been no government confirmation of the shutdown, there are numerous complaints(nouvelle fenêtre) on social media about Discord being down and inaccessible without a VPN. David Peterson, general manager for VPN at Proton, said the apparent crackdown was not unprecedented.
“This follows recent trends of Egypt restricting some social and VoIP platforms in an attempt to suppress emerging youth-led activism,” Peterson posted on X(nouvelle fenêtre) on Saturday, as the spike was beginning.
A government crackdown?
Discord began as a way for online gamers to chat while playing. Offering both social and voice-calling features, it has become popular as a communications platform more generally, especially among younger people. As such, it has become a frequent target for government censorship around the world, having been blocked by China, Russia(nouvelle fenêtre), Turkey(nouvelle fenêtre), and Jordan(nouvelle fenêtre) in recent years.
This new apparent crackdown on Discord in Egypt coincides with ongoing (and increasingly violent) anti-government protests (nouvelle fenêtre)sweeping Iran(nouvelle fenêtre). Social media commentators have speculated that the authoritarian Egyptian government may be suppressing online dissent in response to this unrest, fearing a resurgence of the pro-democracy Arab Spring(nouvelle fenêtre) uprisings that erupted across much of the Arab world (including Egypt) during the early 2010s.
Discord bans
Although Discord is widely available globally, it is a fairly frequent target for government censorship. Notable bans include:
China
Discord has long been blocked in mainland China as part of the Chinese government’s Great Firewall censorship program, which aims to restrict most Western social apps and messaging services. Authorities routinely block encrypted messaging platforms that fall outside state control.
Russia
In October 2024, Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor officially blocked Discord(nouvelle fenêtre) nationwide after the company refused to remove nearly 1,000 pieces of content that Russian authorities classified as illegal (including extremist content and other prohibited material). Discord had previously been fined for failing to comply with content removal orders.
Turkey
Turkey implemented a full block on Discord in early October 2024 following a court decision in Ankara. Turkish authorities argued the platform was being used for criminal activities(nouvelle fenêtre) and “harmful content,” particularly relating to child abuse.
The move followed public outrage over the murder of two women in Istanbul, which was praised by some users on Discord. This wasn’t helped by Discord refusing to hand over the IP addresses and user information of these people to the Turkish authorities.
Other reported or intermittent restrictions
- United Arab Emirates (UAE): Some reports and community sources(nouvelle fenêtre) indicate Discord has been blocked or restricted at times. This is likely due to the UAE’s strict VoIP and content controls, but the government rarely makes official public statements on the subject.
- Jordan: Community reports as of late 2025 suggest intermittent blockages(nouvelle fenêtre), but there’s no confirmed nationwide government ban from official sources.
- Nepal: Discord was previously blocked(nouvelle fenêtre), but users reported it became accessible again by late 2025.
Proton VPN will continue to monitor the situation
Our service remains a safe and reliable way to bypass most forms of government censorship. A Discord ban in Egypt remains to be confirmed, but is consistent with the sizable and ongoing spike in sign-ups observed over the weekend by Proton VPN. We’ll continue to monitor the situation, and will update this article once more information becomes available.
