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The struggle against online censorship continued in 2024, as over half the world’s population experienced internet restrictions.
43 of those restrictions took place in Asia, with 7 countries affected.
India alone imposed 23 restrictions, which was a significant increase from the 11 it introduced in 2023.
Pakistan was another Asian country imposing restrictions on its citizens, as 8 hit the country.
In November 2024, the country experienced aVPN shutdown, with the government then attempting tocombat VPN usage.
Social media was also affected, asBluesky was blockedandWhatsApp faced restrictions.
17 new restrictions hit Africa, with 8 of those coming in Mozambique.
All eyes on elections
2024 was a record-breaking year for democracy as 64 countries held elections.
This led to a second spike in signups of 127,830% over the baseline.
Venezuela was another country facing political unrest, as the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro was disputed.
X andTelegram were blocked, and over20 VPNs were reported to have been banned.
Proton VPN advocates for internet freedoms and has passed numerous no-logs audits.
It isn’t the cheapest VPN out there, but does have a very decent free plan.
VPNs came under attack in Myanmaras a new security law was introduced by the ruling military junta.
Areport by Top10VPNfound that Myanmar experienced 8,784 hours of internet shutdown, costing the economy $1.58 billion.
Russia, along with China, are just two countries where ongoing internet restrictions are present.
X, YouTube, and Instagram recorded 6 cases each, with Telegram recording 3.
WhatsApp faced the longest restriction, averaging 106 days.
This was a change from 2023, which saw YouTube experiencing an average of 123 days restricted.
In 2024, the average restriction across all social media platforms was 13 days.
It’s thefastest VPNwe’ve tested, hitting speeds of over 950 Mbps.
This, combined with over 3,000 servers worldwide, makes it great for streaming and browsing.
The 2-year plan equates to$2.19 per month($59.13 up front).
You also get an additional 3 months of protection for free, alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trends declining?
But we cannot become complacent and must continue to fight against all forms of internet restriction and censorship.
How can we combat restrictions?
VPNs encrypt internet traffic and hide it from third-parties and government surveillance.
Themost secure VPNsare a reliable way of bypassing restrictions and protect you with class-leading privacy.
NordVPN, thebest VPN overall, has just introducedNordWhisper.
NordWhisper avoids detection by mimicking regular web traffic and overcoming advanced connection filters and blocking tactics.
VPNs give everyday citizens the ability to fight back against thus encroaching censorship."
Protection beyond VPNs
VPNs are not the only tool capable of protecting internet freedoms.
Tor utilises the “Onion connection” and routes your traffic through a series of volunteer-operated nodes.
If you’re concerned about your messages being intercepted, then thebest encrypted messaging appscan offer protection.
Telegram is another good choice for encrypted messaging, and has now grown into a wider social media platform.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses.
For example: 1.
Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).
Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services.
Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
