The Legality of VPN’s – Can you Get in Trouble for Using a VPN?
In the early years of VPN’s, these virtual networks were considered illegal, as there was a widespread opinion among internet users that only hackers and criminals use VPN. Of course, this opinion is long outdated now. But, there are still a lot of misconceptions attached to Virtual Private Networks. In this week’s Zlog, we’re diving into the legality of VPN’s in order to bring you the most accurate information about this very useful online tool.
Are VPN’s Illegal?
The short answer would be no. But, since we need to go in-depth in order to accurately discuss this topic, the answer to the initial question may vary. This is because the legality of VPN’s largely depends on how you use the VPN service. If you’re using the VPN for illegal purposes, it doesn’t matter if the service is legal in your country, you can still be prosecuted.
However, there’s no need to worry. VPN’s are allowed in a majority of countries across the globe. If you’re using the service in a legal and conscious manner like most internet-goers, you have every right to use a VPN. So what are the most popular legitimate uses of a VPN? We’ll address them below:
Using a VPN to Maintain Privacy and Security
There are many people and organizations out there that use VPN’s in order to secure their private information. A VPN can be a very helpful assistant if you’re trying to add an additional layer of security to your device or network. In the same breath, you can use it to stay anonymous from prying eyes and keep your identity a secret when browsing online.
Using a VPN to get around Geo-blocks and Location Restrictions
VPN’s also come in very handy if you want to get away with geo-restrictions and access a service that would otherwise be unavailable for you. The most popular examples of this are Netflix, Amazon TV and Hulu, which are all only available in certain locations.
However, if you intend to use a VPN for such a purpose, you should keep in mind that this is not clearly defined and falls into a gray area. While you most likely won’t get into trouble for accessing restricted content, the service provider still reserves the full right to ban you or prevent you from accessing their content in the future.
Countries where VPN’s are Banned or Restricted
Of course, with all of the things we talked about above, there still are some countries where VPN’s are either completely banned or restricted under special terms. If you’re from one of the countries we’re going to talk about next or plan on traveling to one of them in the near future, it’s important to be aware of the fact that using a VPN can get you in a lot of trouble. So, in which countries are VPN’s illegal?
Russia
Over the last couple of years, the Russian government has put in a lot of efforts into modernizing their online infrastructure and digitizing their industry. Unfortunately, the rapid growth of the industry has also brought some disadvantages, mainly in the form of an extensively developed surveillance and censorship apparatus. While Russia didn’t ban all VPN’s, only the services who agree on special terms can operate in their country.
China
As one of the last Communist countries in the world, it’s no surprise that the Chinese Government has a very authoritative stance over everything that goes on in the country. With strong internet censorship, only the VPN’s that accept to allow backdoor access, log history and data and censor certain websites, are allowed to operate in China. With terms like this, using a VPN service in China is practically pointless.
The Middle East
Almost all Middle-eastern countries have a notorious reputation of heavily censoring and restricting freedom on almost every step. Countries like Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Oman all have very strict and unfavorable laws when it comes to VPN’s. As for the legality of VPN’s in this countries goes, while not all of them outright ban using VPN’s, they certainly heavily discourage it.
Get a VPN Today!
Even if your country wasn’t one of the above-mentioned ones, it still doesn’t mean that your information isn’t out there and that your security cannot be compromised. If you value your online privacy and want to protect your sensitive information and keep it far away from your ISP and government it’s the perfect time to get a VPN service.
With ZoogVPN, you can enjoy complete security, unrestricted access and unconditional support. ZoogVPN is the most affordable and reliable VPN currently available and can be yours for just a couple of bucks per month. But don’t just go by our words. Try the service out for free for an unlimited period of time and make sure you’re always safe. You can try out ZoogVPN here.
Yaroslav S.CEO at ZoogVPN. Yaroslav is a versatile manager with extensive customer support experience. His historical background and a deep passion for philosophy perfectly complete a real desire to create meaningful content and tech products.
