Are VPNs Legal? When is their use illegal?
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With a VPN, you can maintain your privacy, bypass the content of website portals, circumvent filtered networks, and much more. While VPNs are legal in the US, UK, and other countries, many people also use them to hack copyrighted content or commit other crimes.
In this article, we will comprehensively analyze the question of whether VPNs are legal to use in countries around the world.
Is using a VPN legal in the US?
Yes. Under US law, it is perfectly acceptable to use a VPN. In fact, a lot of companies use it to give their employees secure access to the corporate network. Consumer VPN providers are prevalent in the US, with large and reputable companies such as Google offering VPN services.
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While VPN use is not inherently illegal in the United States, many activities that take place using a VPN may be illegal.
Here is what you should not do with a VPN in the US:
- Content protected by copyright for piracy. Although copyright law is rarely enforced on individual citizens who pirate content, it is still illegal – and there may be repercussions from your Internet service provider (ISP).
- Buy or sell in the dark web marketplaces. The dark web marketplaces are usually accessed through Tor, but VPNs are becoming increasingly popular ways to access these sites as well. Buying guns, drugs, and hitman services on the black market is as illegal with a VPN as it is without it.
- Hacking, stalking, or cyberbullying someone. VPNs offer a measure of privacy and anonymity, but don’t hack anyone and expect to get away with it.
Basically, using a VPN does not change the legal status of any online activity you may be doing. If it’s legal without a VPN, it’s legal with a VPN—And if it is naturally illegal, it is still illegal to use a VPN.
Other countries have different laws regarding VPN use, copyrights, and other regions, so read on if you reside outside the US.
Where are VPNs illegal?
While it is perfectly legal to use a VPN in most parts of the world, some countries have specific bans or restrictions. Generally, countries with severely restricted network access do not want their citizens to access the open internet with a VPN.
VPNs are illegal (or their use is restricted) in:
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China (severely restricted)
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North Korea (unlawful)
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Iraq (illegal)
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Belarus (unlawful)
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United Arab Emirates (legal with restrictions)
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Egypt (legal with restrictions)
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Turkey (legal with restrictions)
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Russia (unlawful)
Here is a table summarizing the places where VPNs are illegal (at the time of writing):
| Legality of using a VPN: | severely restricted. Using a VPN in China to access external content is difficult due to heavy filtering and strong government censorship, as VPNs are legal in China, mainly due to their use in international business. Consumer VPN service providers must be licensed by the Chinese government. Unlicensed services are often shut down by the country, so the remaining options are heavily censored, if you are a foreigner trying to use a VPN inside China expect it to be difficult, but it probably won’t land you in jail. |
| a reason: | The great Chinese firewall, which tightly controls and monitors the information within its borders, will not work if it can be easily circumvented, meanwhile VPN technology is very beneficial for business, China has reached a compromise between blocking VPNs and allowing them in bulk . |
| nation: | North Korea |
| Legality of using a VPN: | illegal. North Korea is taking Chinese Internet censorship to a whole new level. Most citizens have no access to the Internet at all – instead, they connect to Kwangmyong, North Korea’s intranet. Generally, only senior government officials have unrestricted access to the Internet. If you choose to visit North Korea and try to use a VPN, it could land you in jail. |
| a reason: | Like China, North Korea wants to control its citizens’ access to information. For this reason, any tool that can be used to access uncensored content is considered illegal. |
| nation: | Iraq |
| Legality of using a VPN: | illegal. The Iraqi government uses various forms of Internet censorship. Using VPN services is illegal. The Iraqi censorship is less advanced than the censorship of China or North Korea, but they can certainly arrest and punish VPN users. |
| a reason: | While Iraq attempts to prevent its citizens’ access to outside information, its approaches are more limited. The government generally blocks specific apps and websites rather than censoring information piece by piece like in China. |
| nation: | Belarus |
| Legality of using a VPN: | illegal. Any technology that anonymizes Internet use is illegal in Belarus. Both Tor and VPNs have been illegal since around 2015. |
| a reason: | In the turmoil following a controversial election fraught with voter fraud, Belarus is scrambling to ban apps like Telegram that are used to organize protests, in general, blocking apps and websites that are unpopular with the government. The Belarusian government has resorted to extreme measures such as cutting off the Internet altogether. |
| nation: | The United Arab Emirates |
| Legality of using a VPN: | Legal with restrictions.The UAE does not allow entire classes of applications, such as Voice over IP (VoIP). However, VPNs are legal unless they are used to commit a crime, in which case using a VPN involves additional penalties. |
| a reason: | Several internet restrictions in the UAE are working to enforce its ban on content against its “moral values”. Pornography, video calls, and anything politically sensitive are banned. |
| nation: | Egypt |
| Legality of using a VPN: | Legal with restrictions. Just like the UAE, Egypt bans certain types of apps that it considers unethical. However, VPNs themselves are not illegal. |
| a reason: | Video calling and VoIP apps are banned because they are seen as unethical. Egypt has suspended or severely restricted Internet access on a number of occasions. Restrictions on VPNs continue in this effort to block access to “immoral” content and to control access to information. |
| nation: | Turkey |
| Legality of using a VPN: | Legal with restrictions. The Turkish government blocks all kinds of websites, apps, and content that you don’t like. Using a VPN is legal in itself, but many providers have been banned. |
| a reason: | Turkey is one of the most restrictive countries in accessing social media in the world. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia and other major platforms are inaccessible, websites are generally blocked with the aim of preventing terrorism, but Turkey also blocks sites for content it considers politically sensitive. |
| nation: | Russia |
| Legality of using a VPN: | illegal. Over time, Russia has constantly increased its control over the amount of information from its citizens. As of 2017, VPNs are completely illegal in Russia. However, VPN traffic itself is not blocked at the time of writing. |
| a reason: | Russia seeks to ban “extremist” content, but it also removes politically sensitive information. |
These are just a few of the many global jurisdictions with some sort of restrictions on VPN usage. Most countries don’t explicitly restrict VPN use, but a good number of them do, so check before you assume it’s legal.
What can happen if you use a VPN illegally?
While committing copyright infringement is illegal in most parts of the world, a lot of people do it anyway. Some people think that they are not likely to see the consequences of their “victimless crimes”. The same mindset can apply to using VPNs where they are prohibited.
Some countries have restrictions on VPN use– Like other Internet censorship laws – with more force than others. Using a VPN illegally may land you in jail, or there may be no penalty at all. Regardless, it is generally not a good idea to break the law, even if you consider the law unethical.
If a country blocks VPN apps, it is a safe assumption that it has the means to enforce that ban. Attempting to use a VPN illegally is very risky in any of these countries.
Even in countries where VPNs are not explicitly banned, such as China, police sometimes require citizens and visitors to remove VPN apps from their devices. This may not involve a direct penalty (such as a prison sentence or a fine), but it discourages people from using VPNs.
Internet censorship: Is it legal to use a VPN to access blocked content?
Depends on the jurisdiction. You may want to use a VPN to access blocked content. If you avoid banned content on your business or school network, you likely won’t face legal consequences. Having said that, you may be penalized in some way by your employer or school.
In most countries, prohibited content generally falls into one of two categories:
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Geo-blocked content (blocking by content providers, such as Netflix)
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Illegal content has been blocked by the government using technical means
Accessing content that falls under the first category is generally allowed with a VPN, while accessing blatantly illegal content is still illegal. However, even if you are accessing legally prohibited content using a VPN, there may still be repercussions, such as canceled subscriptions.
Is streaming with a VPN illegal?
number. One of the most common uses of VPNs is to access region-locked content from other countries. Some movies and TV shows are unlocked in certain countries. A VPN can bypass these restrictions, so you can watch Formula 1, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, or your favorite series from anywhere in the world.
While using a VPN in this way is generally legal, it may violate the streaming provider’s terms of service. In this case, you can expect that your account may be restricted or closed.
The US Digital Millennium Copyright Act has created a legal framework to penalize people who rally around digital rights management (DRM) programs. This law could theoretically be used against people who avoid area locks with VPNs, although it hasn’t been tested.
It is completely legal to use a VPN for Netflix, so you don’t have to worry too much about this use case.
What are legal VPNs to use?
The legitimacy of the VPN has nothing to do with the products themselves and everything to do with how they are used. As a tool, it only allows you to pass your communication through an intermediary, which does not make you a criminal.
Legality questions arise when you consider how and where to use a VPN. Most likely, if the action is illegal without a VPN, it is likely illegal activity with it, too (i.e. downloading copyrighted material). In other cases, countries such as Russia, Belarus, China, Turkey and Iran have imposed some restrictions on these networks. While they don’t necessarily block the technology, they do want to have a backdoor into your browsing activity.
In those countries, some VPN providers will be readily available and accessible. Usually, it will be under the control of the government. Meanwhile, the likes of NordVPN, Surfshark, and other services will be hard to come by as they are independent and stand up for your online privacy. The government is trying to kick them out, because they don’t cooperate with their data requests.
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VPNs are a powerful technology that can be used for both good and bad. As a result, their legal status can be confusing. Every country has slightly different regulations regarding the use of VPNs.
In most parts of the world, standard uses for VPNs are above the board. However, it is a good idea to check if there are any restrictions in your particular country before doing anything potentially questionable. Check if you are not violating any terms of the Service Agreement if you do not want your account suspended.
And remember: if it’s illegal without a VPN, then it’s illegal.
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