Are VPNs legal? Full Breakdown

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are generally legal and are a crucial component of cybersecurity strategies for both individual users and companies. It helps hide your IP address and encrypt your data, so your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or authorities can’t track what you’re doing online.

However, there are some countries, like North Korea, Belarus, Turkmenistan, the UAE, China, Iran, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt, where VPNs are illegal or highly restricted.

In this guide, I’ll explain where VPNs are legal and where they can get you in trouble, like fines or even imprisonment.

Is using a VPN legal?

Yes, using a VPN is generally legal in most countries around the world, including the US, European countries, Canada, and others. However, it’s illegal or restricted in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and some other countries.

Currently, using a VPN is legal in the following countries:

Using a VPN is legal for such activities as staying private on public Wi-Fi or preventing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from tracking you. Still, you can’t use a VPN for activities that are deemed illegal in your country – connecting to a VPN doesn’t make it legal.

Why are VPNs legal?

I found a popular post on Reddit where users ask, “Why are VPNs legal?” in most countries, since they can be used to access content that’s restricted in your home country. So, I wanted to discuss it further and explain the main reasons why it’s important that VPNs stay legal:

• Ensures internet freedom. Some countries restrict access to important websites, including news sites. VPNs encourage freedom of expression and access to global knowledge, making users susceptible to political bias.
• Increases online privacy. VPNs encrypt your traffic, so sensitive data, like passwords or financial account credentials, are protected.
• Keeps you safe on public Wi-Fi. VPNs help keep you safe in airports, cafés, or other public places that use unsecured public Wi-Fi. They prevent man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks (attacks where hackers can intercept your data) by encrypting your information.
• Ensures security for businesses. Many businesses adopt VPNs so their employees can access internal systems or work remotely, helping protect against disruptions or cyber attacks that could lead to huge financial losses or even business failure.

Countries where VPNs are illegal

There are multiple countries around the world where VPNs are illegal or restricted due to censorship. Some of them ban VPNs altogether, while others only allow it for privacy but not for accessing foreign content. Here are the countries where VPNs are blocked or restricted:

Now, let’s review each case to help you understand the exact details on VPN legality.

North Korea

Status: Illegal

VPN usage is completely banned in North Korea, making owning a VPN illegal. The punishment for distributing foreign media can result in a few months in a labour camp or even the death penalty, according to the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act enacted in 2020.

Belarus

Status: Illegal

Belarus banned VPN and Tor network usage in 2015, but they still “remained accessible in practice,” as stated by the Freedom House. Under the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 218, importing or exporting encryption technology is prohibited without the approval of the authorities.

Turkmenistan

Status: Illegal

VPNs are illegal in Turkmenistan to prevent people from accessing foreign websites which are banned. According to the Tor project, using a VPN can get Turkmenistan users a fine of 1,500 manats (around $80), which is close to the average monthly salary in the country.

Plus, there have been reports that citizens who wanted to install Wi-Fi in their homes had to swear on the Koran that they wouldn’t use VPNs.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Status: Restricted (legal only for privacy and security)

You can use a VPN in the UAE legally for security and privacy reasons. However, it becomes illegal when used for illegal activities or bypassing geo-restrictions on banned websites or apps. This includes some VoIP apps, like Skype or Whatsapp.

China

Status: Restricted (only government-approved VPNs are allowed)

China blocked VPN usage for its citizens “without permission from telecommunications authorities” in 2017. VPN service providers aren’t allowed to set up VPN services without the government’s approval. It’s heavily regulated, and any illegal VPN operations are being actively blocked.

Iran

Status: Restricted (only government-approved VPNs are allowed)

Since 2024, Iran has restricted VPN usage unless the VPN is approved by government authorities. However, the fines or consequences for VPN usage remain undefined.

The IranWire also reported that a select number of users displayed "Iran" as their location on their X accounts. This revealed the “white SIM card” theory, which shows that only government-approved people can get unrestricted internet access without using a VPN.

Russia

Status: Restricted

Russia hasn’t completely blocked VPN usage, but VPNs that allow users to access banned websites are illegal. The pro-government Safe Internet League in Russia claims that these VPN restrictions are needed to protect the personal data of internet users.

However, Roskomnadzor insists that telecom operators report user data, including their IP address and geo-location, when they visit prohibited websites.

Iraq

Status: Restricted

VPN usage is restricted in Iraq, and users can get punished for using it. However, due to strict censorship in Iraq, it’s even hard to find the exact laws that prohibit VPN usage and the penalties you can face.

For example, Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission’s (CMC) draft regulation on digital content in 2024 used language that suggests that using VPNs is not allowed, but the regulation wasn’t adopted.

Turkey

Status: Restricted (VPNs are actively blocked)

While Turkey doesn’t have laws that make VPNs illegal, they actively block popular VPN services and the Tor network. The government regularly restricts internet access, so citizens have to rely on less-known VPNs to access social media platforms, like YouTube or X (Twitter).

Egypt

Status: Restricted (VPN access is actively disrupted)

VPNs in Egypt are technically legal, but it’s illegal to use them to access banned websites or do other illegal activities. For this reason, the Egyptian government uses Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to hinder VPN access, according to the Business and Human Rights Centre.

Penalties for using a VPN illegally

Using a VPN in a country where it’s illegal or highly restricted can result in hefty fines, deportation, jail time, or other punishment. The exact consequences depend on the country and what you’re using a VPN for, since many of the restricted regions prohibit VPNs specifically for accessing foreign content.

Here are the penalties for using a VPN illegally in different locations:

How do countries ban VPNs?

VPNs encrypt your data and hide your true location, so you may be wondering how they can know that you’re using a VPN. Here are several ways that government authorities are known to use in restricted countries to block VPNs:

• DPI – DPI is a technique that allows government authorities and ISPs to analyze your internet traffic, detecting VPN protocols even when traffic is encrypted. ISPs can then block the VPN traffic.
• Firewalls – national firewalls, like China’s Great Firewall, work as internet censorship and surveillance systems. It blocks access to foreign websites, including those of VPN services, so it’s hard to get the apps in the first place.
• ISP blocks – in restrictive countries, authorities can demand that ISPs block VPN traffic and report detected usage.
• Government-approved VPNs – some countries only allow VPNs that are approved by authorities, while reputable services are blocked. Some of the allowed VPNs may be the tools that log user data, defeating the purpose of privacy in the first place.

How can I bypass VPN blocks

If you’re still planning to use a VPN in restricted countries, please beware that it may be illegal and you may face significant punishment. However, VPNs are important for internet freedom, especially for journalists.

So, it’s important that you use reputable VPNs instead of free ones that may not be reliable due to their lack of funding. They may end up logging your data, which can easily end up in the government’s hands.

Here are a few methods you can try to bypass VPN blocks effectively:

• Enable traffic obfuscation – use obfuscated servers which conceal the fact that you’re using a VPN, making your traffic look regular. Most popular VPNs, like NordVPN and Surfshark, all offer traffic obfuscation.
• Rotate your IP address – change servers often to prevent being tracked. Some VPNs, like Surfshark, also offer a Rotating IP feature, which regularly changes the server automatically.
• Enable the kill switch – a kill switch shuts down your internet connection in case your VPN accidentally disconnects. This helps keep your data private at all times.
• Use double VPN – VPNs like NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN offer double VPN servers, which means you’re connected to two servers at once. This increases the security levels for your private data.

Final thoughts

While VPN usage is encouraged in many countries for cybersecurity, other regions, like Russia, China, and North Korea, restrict or ban VPNs. This is usually due to censorship, as VPNs allow accessing websites that are blocked country-wide.

Some VPN services offer security features to help conceal your VPN traffic, so it would be easier to stay undetected. For example, top VPNs usually employ a kill switch and traffic obfuscation to ensure your data doesn’t leak, while services like NordVPN and its NordWhisper offer secure protocols that work through firewalls and restricted networks.

As said by many experts, including the web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, “It’s time to recognize the Internet as a basic human right.” Everyone should be able to access the internet without political bias or discrimination.