Venezuela has reportedly blocked more than twenty websites from some of the country’s top VPN providers.
These online restrictions came a day after President Maduro imposed a ban on TikTok for failing to appoint a local representative.
Indeed, people have turned to VPNs in droves as a means to continue accessing the video-sharing app. Proton VPN confirmed to Ny Breaking a 1,600% increase in signups across the country to date.
🚨EN DESARROLLO:Amanecieron bloqueados en Venezuela 🛑 With the 30 DNS públicos como 8.8.8.8🛑 With the 20 sites web the VPN🛑 TikTokhttps://t.co/XDUUBHBwic #9Ene Esto has much more difficult information and estar communication, and other cases may result in a connection operation…January 9, 2025
Today, January 9, 2024, Venezuelan digital rights group Ve Sin Filtro reports this that more than 20 VPN provider websites have also been blocked. These include Proton VPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and IPVanish.
A virtual private network (VPN) is security software that encrypts your Internet connections while spoofing your real IP address location. This last skill is exactly what is needed to circumvent restrictions such as those currently in place in Venezuela.
According to Ve Sin Filtro, Tor Browser and more than 30 DNS services are also restricted.
This is not the first time that the government has focused on circumventing tools to prevent citizens from circumventing online restrictions. In July, ahead of the presidential elections, citizens complained about problems using VPN apps.
At the time, Proton VPN suggested searching for applications directly through the AppStore or Google Play Store when using a mobile device. On the desktop you can download the VPN via the GitHub platform by clicking the “Code” button.
Ny Breaking has contacted some of the companies involved to confirm this, but at the time of writing we are still waiting for a response.
21 VPN providers affected
This is the full list of the VPN websites that are restricted in Venezuela as we write this, according to data from Ve Sin Filtro:
Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the big names not currently on this list. Jack Buckley, Privacy Advocate at PIA, confirmed to Ny Breaking that both the PIA VPN app and the provider’s official website are working as usual.
He said: “Even though we are not directly affected by this issue and the data is still coming in, we are seeing the impact of Venezuela’s lockdown efforts. While full figures are not yet available, PIA is already seeing a 270% increase in website traffic from Venezuela at this early stage.”
The TikTok ban remains in place
The Ven Sin Filtro team also confirmed that the TikTok blocking continues in Venezuela at the time of writing.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks first reported the block will begin at midnight on January 8, 2025, “following a pattern of daily multi-hour restrictions.”
The blocking comes as the popular Chinese video-sharing app failed to meet the eight-day deadline set by the Venezuelan Supreme Court to appoint a local representative.