In the face of increasing government interference with internet freedom, VPNs have become a form of digital protest. Some services are specifically designed to bypass censorship and surveillance as effectively as possible. One such example is Amnezia VPN, which has long operated in highly authoritarian regions with extensive restrictions, such as Iran, Russia, Myanmar and China. Now it is also available in Western countries.
How Child Protection Turns into Total Internet Control
The internet is becoming less and less a space of freedom. In many countries, regulations are tightening, and website and app blocking is being increasingly used as a tool to put pressure on online platforms during negotiations. Restrictions on access to information and communication tools have long been used as political instruments to maintain a one-sided narrative where alternative viewpoints are censored, marginalized, and pushed out of the public sphere.
Many of these blocks are framed as child protection measures. This theme is now being actively used not only in authoritarian regimes, but also in countries that were previously considered democratic. By creating an atmosphere of anxiety, governments justify their intervention in the digital space and impose their own rules. While Russia and other authoritarian states have long used this tactic, it is now being adopted by the UK, Australia, the United States, and the European Union.
A recent example is the Chat Control Bill, which was delayed due to public backlash. Experts, tech companies, and civil society criticized the proposed rules for eliminating encryption by forcing platforms to scan even encrypted messages for CSAM content. EU officials have not abandoned the idea entirely—this legislation may resurface in a different form.
In July, the UK enacted a law requiring mandatory age verification. The law was justified by statistics from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. According to Ofcom, 8% of children aged 8 to 14 visited pornographic websites or apps monthly.
The new age verification requirements apply to all internet platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Google. The law requires age checks via ID or biometrics, threatening users’ privacy and anonymity. Verification must be done using live photos or videos, as well as official documents, bank cards, etc.
France previously addressed the issue of age verification for adult websites. Australia will implement similar checks starting in December 2025. Some U.S. states are passing comparable laws. Child protection is being used as justification for tightening digital control.
It seems that governments want to know everything about users, even things traditionally kept private. Experts warn that the excessive data collection (including biometrics) required by platforms poses risks of leaks, data aggregation, and future attacks, especially against vulnerable groups.
How the Internet Became a Battlefield
In June 2020, amid rising tensions with China, India’s government banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, WeChat, UC Browser, Shareit, and CamScanner. These apps were widely popular among Indian users. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology cited “national security” concerns, claiming that the apps collected and transmitted user data abroad without proper oversight.
TikTok remains officially banned in India, despite rumors in August 2025 that the ban might be reversed. Millions of Indian users, especially youth and content creators, lost a key tool for self-expression, communication, and income.
In the U.S., TikTok has been in a “suspended” state for years—neither banned nor fully legal. In 2020, also amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations, lawmakers raised concerns about TikTok potentially sharing data with the Chinese government. From 2021 to 2024, there were multiple legislative attempts to restrict or ban the platform nationwide, and investigations were launched by the DOJ and FBI.
With TikTok’s future in the U.S. uncertain, users are confused—the app is still functioning, but remains under threat. Those whose work or creative output depends on the platform feel anything but secure.
In authoritarian countries, digital censorship is a routine tool of political control. Governments restrict access to information, block independent media and social platforms to silence dissent, hide abuses, and enforce a one-sided narrative.
Authorities demand platforms remove “undesirable” content, such as regime criticism or reports of government abuses, disclose user data, and implement surveillance mechanisms, including algorithmic monitoring and ID-based identification.
Such measures undermine freedom of expression and transform the digital environment into a surveillance tool. TikTok, Facebook, Telegram, and other platforms are under pressure from regimes ranging from Myanmar to Russia and Iran. Unfortunately, this trend is now visible even in countries that are traditionally considered democratic.
The Daily Fight for Privacy and Anonymity
In Russia and Iran, using a VPN daily is routine. But for Europeans and Australians, it’s becoming a new experience. Previously, residents of “unfree” countries used VPNs to access censored websites and protect themselves from surveillance. Now, the trend is moving westward. Media reports show that VPN usage in France surged by over 300% after Pornhub was blocked. In the UK, VPN apps hit download records in the App Store after the age verification law took effect in July.
India has long been a major VPN market. In 2023, it became the world’s largest, surpassing China and Indonesia with over 403 million users. The growing demand is driven by increasing censorship and restrictions.
Today, VPNs are no longer just tools for geeks or crypto-paranoids. They’re not merely a last resort for those in heavily censored countries, they’re part of digital hygiene for anyone who values privacy and personal freedom. VPNs protect against government surveillance and censorship, as well as excessive data collection by commercial entities for advertising and profiling purposes.
Amnezia VPN is the service that offers strong privacy and security. Launched in 2020 by internet activists, it was designed to fight censorship and surveillance in authoritarian countries. It operates successfully in Russia, Iran, Myanmar, China, Turkey, Vietnam, and beyond, where governments seek to control their citizens’ online activities. From the start, the project’s mission has been clear: to defend user privacy and preserve internet freedom, regardless of geography.
Originally, Amnezia was a unique open-source out-of-the-box solution that allowed users to quickly deploy their own private self-hosted VPN on personal servers. The project underwent independent audits to confirm its security.
Over time, Amnezia VPN has evolved into a comprehensive solution offering self-hosted VPNs, free access via Amnezia Free for high-censorship regions, paid Amnezia Premium (recommended by 95% of users), corporate VPNs, and its own hosting.
The team is constantly improving the service to help users stay free amid growing restrictions. In 2023, they developed AmneziaWG—a custom protocol based on WireGuard-Go. It retains WireGuard’s simplicity and speed but removes traffic signatures that make standard WireGuard detectable by DPI (deep packet inspection) systems. AmneziaWG modifies packet headers, randomizes message sizes, and can mimic popular UDP protocols, like QUIC or DNS. It maintains high performance, energy efficiency, and compatibility. Setup is simple, and when obfuscation is disabled, the client behaves like standard WireGuard.
Amnezia VPN has proven effective in restrictive countries like Iran, Russia, and Myanmar. It bypasses advanced blocking tools, including DPI, and avoids detection by national telecom operators. It encrypts not only user connections but also DNS queries. Surprisingly, not all VPNs do this by default, leaving DNS requests exposed. These queries reveal user activity and allow interference. Therefore, DNS encryption is essential for digital security. With Amnezia, DNS requests pass through secure VPN servers instead of ISPs, helping users bypass blocks and stay private.
According to Amnezia’s developers, the cat-and-mouse game never stops. Governments and corporations want to know what users read, watch, and visit. They seek control over what’s allowed and want to increase sales by tracking every click and pushing ads. However, there are still tools that can help to bypass censorship and protect privacy, allowing users to stay free online.
