Has Pakistan begun the crackdown on “unregistered” VPNs?

In what would appear to be the beginning of the implementation of VPN-restricting legislation in Pakistan, many residents have reported issues accessing their VPN services. On Sunday, November 9, 2024, people in Pakistan lamented issues using the best VPN apps. After the initial silence, authorities later confirmed to local publications that this wave of restrictions was due to a “brief technical glitch” – VPNs returned working as usual by the end of the day – while reiterating the need for VPN providers to register their services in the country to avoid further disruptions.

The Pakistan Tele­communication Authority (PTA) announced plans to regulate the use of VPNs in August. The new legislation would aim to curb VPN misuse and security risks. Authorities deemed unregistered VPNs a “security risk” for Pakistan as they can be used to access “sensitive data.”

Proton VPN has since confirmed to TechRadar a spike in usage of over 350% above normal traffic following the reported VPN outages and connectivity issues (see graph above).

Virtual private network (VPN) services have become a crucial resource for day-to-day activities for many Pakistanis in 2024 thanks to their IP-spoofing capabilities which grant them access to otherwise geo-restricted content.

Authorities have enforced a strict grip on the internet throughout the year. Most notably, people in Pakistan haven’t been able to access X (formerly known as Twitter) without a VPN since February, with VPN usage being often a target. Experts also believe that such an increase in