Amid violent protests, civil conflicts and crackdowns by paramilitary elements, the demand for VPNs in the South Asian nation of Pakistan has seen an unprecedented 1,329% increase in 2023. This occurred after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on the 9th of May, which spurred widespread protests that authorities responded to by restricting access to social media platforms.
In the span of just six days, VPN usage soared to levels that had never been seen with all things having been considered and taken into account. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority also blocked broadband access across the board, which once again made VPNs more useful than might have been the case otherwise.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Pakistan is not alone in this surge. Earlier in the year, more specifically during the months of February and March, VPN usage in Ethiopia surged by 3,651% after the government blocked certain portions of the internet.
This wasn’t the first time Ethiopia saw such a startling increase. In November of 2021, the Ethiopian government blocked Facebook and Instagram after exam papers were leaked. This led to VPN usage becoming 5,109% higher than normal.
The demand for VPNs is also seeing a huge uptick in the US. In the state of Utah, an 847% increase was noted after the government starting requiring users to submit IDs to verify their age in order to access adult sites like Pornhub. Louisiana also saw a 246% increase for the same reason.
All around the world, government restrictions on internet access are being sidestepped with VPN usage. It will be interesting to see how these trends continue for the rest of 2023.
Via: Google Trends
Read next: Just 30% of Parents Have Used ChatGPT, Here’s Why That’s a Problem
In the span of just six days, VPN usage soared to levels that had never been seen with all things having been considered and taken into account. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority also blocked broadband access across the board, which once again made VPNs more useful than might have been the case otherwise.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Pakistan is not alone in this surge. Earlier in the year, more specifically during the months of February and March, VPN usage in Ethiopia surged by 3,651% after the government blocked certain portions of the internet.
This wasn’t the first time Ethiopia saw such a startling increase. In November of 2021, the Ethiopian government blocked Facebook and Instagram after exam papers were leaked. This led to VPN usage becoming 5,109% higher than normal.
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The demand for VPNs is also seeing a huge uptick in the US. In the state of Utah, an 847% increase was noted after the government starting requiring users to submit IDs to verify their age in order to access adult sites like Pornhub. Louisiana also saw a 246% increase for the same reason.
All around the world, government restrictions on internet access are being sidestepped with VPN usage. It will be interesting to see how these trends continue for the rest of 2023.
Via: Google Trends
Read next: Just 30% of Parents Have Used ChatGPT, Here’s Why That’s a Problem
