Proton VPN Observatory (2025)
Documenting spikes in Proton VPN use as people fight for online freedom.
VPNs are essential tools to combat internet censorship. At Proton VPN, we regularly see signups spike following major geopolitical events around the world, be they protests, contested elections, or government crackdowns. To see how people worldwide fight internet censorship, we’ve begun documenting all significant spikes in Proton VPN usage.

ongoing
Albania - March 12, 2025
+ 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.

Myanmar - March 10, 2025
+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.

Spain - February 11, 2025
+ 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.

Kazakhstan - February 03, 2025
+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.

DR Congo - February 2, 2025
+7000% increase over baseline
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured eastern DRC’s largest city of Goma as conflict intensifies in the central African nation.

Belarus - January 21, 2025
+170% 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.

USA - January 19, 2025
+490% increase over baseline
TikTok went offline in the United States on the night of January 18, few hours before a ban was slated to go into effect.

Venezuela - January 9, 2025
+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.
Proton VPN's mission is to ensure freedom of speech and fight online censorship everywhere. We're proud to stand up for online freedom and enable people to access a free and open internet.