Islamabad (TDI): A sharp increase in the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) has been reported in Pakistan, with demand more than tripling between November 24 and 26, coinciding with a major protest organized by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The surge follows stringent social media restrictions imposed by the government during the protest movement, which has been led by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who remains in jail on various charges.
According to Top10VPN, an independent VPN review company, VPN demand spiked by 102% on November 24, the day PTI launched its “long march” to Islamabad.
The following day, the demand jumped even higher, rising by 253% compared to the daily average over the previous 28 days.
The surge in VPN use continued as media sharing services like WhatsApp were reportedly targeted by authorities, further fueling the demand for tools to bypass internet censorship.
The Pakistani government has been cracking down on VPNs for weeks, particularly after social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) were banned in February.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced a new policy requiring businesses and freelancers to register their VPNs with the government by November 30.
Unregistered VPNs will be blocked, a move the government claims is aimed at preventing militants and anti-state groups from using VPNs to conceal their identities and spread illegal content.
However, digital rights advocates argue that the crackdown is part of broader efforts to restrict access to information and silence dissent, particularly as internet censorship has ramped up amid ongoing protests.
The government is also planning to implement a nationwide internet firewall, which would block “malicious” content, prevent cyberattacks, and track IP addresses linked to “anti-state propaganda” and terrorism.
The new measures have led to a significant decline in internet speeds, with some reports indicating a 30-40% drop in connectivity.
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The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) has warned that these disruptions are causing significant problems for businesses, particularly multinational companies, and could drive them to relocate their operations out of Pakistan.
Internet Shutdown and VPN
The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has already raised alarms over the impact of frequent internet slowdowns, which they claim have led some multinational companies to move their offices abroad. Similarly, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has warned that blocking VPNs could have disastrous consequences for the country’s burgeoning IT sector.
Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) industry has been growing at an average rate of 30% per year, with exports projected to reach over $15 billion in the next five years.
However, these gains could be jeopardized if virtual private networks access is restricted, as data protection and cybersecurity are critical to global business operations.
“If VPNs are blocked, Pakistan’s IT companies, call centers, and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms will lose major clients, including Fortune 500 companies,” said P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed.
“Data protection and secure connections through virtual private networks are essential for international companies, and any intrusion into their security protocols by the government or any other institution is unacceptable.”
The growing use of virtual private networks in Pakistan highlights a deepening concern about digital freedoms and the increasing restrictions on internet access, as citizens seek ways to circumvent censorship and maintain connectivity in the face of government crackdowns.
