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The use of VPN services has skyrocketed in Turkey as authorities restricted access to Twitter on Wednesday. This comes just two days after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 15,000 people in both Turkey and Syria.
Proton VPN, one of the best Turkish VPNs on the market, recorded a significant increase in usage from the domestic side. A peak in hourly signups rose 30,000% above normal levels, dwarfing signups from the rest of the world.
While no official statement has been made, internet watchdog NetBlocks believes the Twitter ban came as a means to prevent disinformation prevent the disaster from spreading online.
The service now appears to be restored. Despite this, the use of Proton remains ten times higher than the usual Turkish baseline.
What is happening in Turkey?
NetBlocks first reported the ban on Wednesday, after noting that a filter blocking access to Twitter had been applied to all major Turkish ISPs.
Such a blockade came at a time when citizens most relied on such a service to keep up to date with the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that shook the peninsula some 48 hours earlier. Even worse, the disaster had already affected internet infrastructure by that point.
“The measure is unrelated to the impact of the recent earthquakes and can be circumvented by using a VPN service,” NetBlocks explained in a statement. tweet (opens in new tab).
Well, people in Turkey have certainly listened to that advice. Proton VPN only recorded a peak of more than 30,000% more registrations per hour than usual. At the time of writing, VPN usage is still ten times higher, even though the Twitter ban has now been lifted.
However, such a situation is not so surprising.
As internet shutdowns become common practice among governments seeking to silence critics or disrupt the normal flow of news, users have learned to suppress them.
“Maintaining access to a free, uncensored internet is essential,” said Andy Yen, Proton’s founder and CEO.
“This is especially true in times of crisis when people rely on online platforms to share information with friends, loved ones and the wider community.”
Yen said the latest numbers actually match those from the early days of the Iranian protests.
That’s because a VPN spoofs users’ real locations and instead redirects traffic through one of many international servers. This means that in seconds people in Turkey and abroad can appear as if they are browsing from a completely different place, bypassing any existing censorship.
In fact, as part of its humanitarian mission, Proton offers an unlimited free VPN to make internet freedom available to everyone.
“Proton VPN is committed to protecting the free access of information for everyone, no matter who or where they are,” said Yen.