VPN demand soars amid stricter social media controls in Pakistan
1. Significant spike highlights growing reliance on VPNs to circumvent increasing digital restrictions in the country
The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) has surged dramatically in Pakistan following the implementation of stricter social media restrictions.
According to Top10VPN, an independent platform that reviews VPN services, demand in Pakistan skyrocketed by 102% on November 25 compared to the average daily usage over the past month. This sharp increase underscores the growing reliance on VPNs to bypass mounting digital restrictions.
The demand continued to escalate on November 26, peaking at 213% above the normal baseline. This surge coincided with reports that authorities had restricted media sharing on WhatsApp ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) protest demonstrations.
Downdetector.com, a site that tracks disruptions in online platforms, showed that several social media services, including WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, were experiencing outages across Pakistan.
Citizens have voiced frustration over these disruptions, as the government has not provided an official explanation for the access restrictions. However, social media platforms are still accessible through VPNs, which seem to offer a workaround for the outages.
The government has confirmed that it plans to restrict internet services in areas deemed to have security concerns but has not addressed the specific issue of social media disruptions.
While VPNs allow users to access blocked platforms, they are facing an additional challenge: slow internet speeds. Several cities in Punjab, including Multan, Rajanpur, Gujrat, and Dera Ghazi Khan, have reported significant internet disruptions, making it difficult for residents to access online services.
