After Instagram, Turkey blocks access to popular VPN apps
Turkey has reportedly banned some of the top VPN services, leading to a new wave of internet outages.
The move comes as the country enters the fourth day of its blockade of Instagram, making VPNs a crucial tool for anyone hoping to regain access to the platform.
Turkish authorities on Friday enforced the ban on the popular social media site without much explanation. However, there is speculation that the government acted in response to Meta’s platform restricting condolence messages following the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Why does Turkey block VPN apps?
This past weekend, citizens and visitors across the country made massive use of circumvention software such as VPN apps.
This is because a virtual private network (VPN) is a security software that both encrypts internet connections and spoofs your IP address location. The latter ability is exactly what you need to grant access to otherwise geo-restricted content.
As the chart below shows, popular free VPN provider Proton VPN recorded a 4,500% increase in signups.
“We also saw a nine-fold increase in usage in Turkey on Friday after the block was announced, and traffic continued to increase over the weekend as people worked to circumvent the block,” David Peterson, General Manager of Proton VPN, told me.
Which VPNs are blocked in Turkey?
According to the Istanbul-based Freedom of Expression Association (IFÖD) – see tweet below – 27 of the most popular Turkish VPN apps appear to be blocked at the time of writing.
Below are some of our top recommendations, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, Private Internet Access (PIA), CyberGhost, Hide.me, and IPVanish.
However, Peterson said that the supposed blockade does not affect Proton VPN users at the time of writing. “(Users) can still connect in the hundreds of thousands,” he told me.
Turkiye’den erişime engelli VPN services list: https://t.co/ttaery0W4m pic.twitter.com/OQHpGoHa5tAugust 4, 2024
A NordVPN spokesperson also confirmed that while the team has noticed a slight increase in the number of people unable to connect, no significant disruptions have been recorded. NordVPN also pointed out that it has not received any communication from Turkish authorities or IFÖD.
I have also reached out to other providers that are reportedly affected by the ban, but I am still waiting for a response at the time of publication. I will update the page as soon as I have more information.
What to do to bypass VPN ban
Whether you live in Turkey or are traveling to the country soon for your summer vacation, unlimited internet access is probably one of your top priorities.
Proton’s Peterson advises installing a VPN app beforehand, if possible, “in case internet censorship tightens further and access to VPN websites is restricted.”
I also recommend signing up for multiple services so you can hop between them if you have trouble using specific providers. Head over to our dedicated guide to grabbing the safest freebie out there right now.
The habits Using Tor Browser when registering and logging into the VPN app can also help bypass restrictions. It’s worth noting, however, that Tor routes your connection through at least three layers of encryption, so it may slow down your connection.
For more tips on how to bypass potential VPN blocks, here’s also a useful reddit thread from Proton VPN.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and enhance your online privacy abroad. We do not support or tolerate illegal or malicious use of VPN services. The consumption of paid pirated content is not endorsed or approved by Future Publishing.