Community Consultation on VPN Restrictions Policy Brief

Consultation is open.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are important tools for improving digital security, privacy, and online trust. Despite this, some governments seek to ban, limit, or control their use. Some governments target these essential security tools because they can also be used to access information beyond national controls, preserve anonymity, and circumvent geo-blocking, age verification, and platform compliance systems.

VPNs face outright bans or regulatory pressure in some countries, and their regulation is a growing political debate in others. While policymakers face real challenges, such as protecting minors online, enforcing digital rules, and limiting exposure to harmful content, VPN restrictions weaken user protection, create new risks, and often prove ineffective.

As policymakers seek to address policy issues, this draft policy brief provides a set of principles and recommendations on how to approach this issue.

We invite the Internet Society community to provide feedback on the brief.

Please complete the form to provide your input by 29 July.