VPNs have a mixed reputation, primarily because you can use the technology to hide your location and identity on the internet. Even the best VPNs can be used to conceal crimes and make the perpetrators harder to track. Fortunately, most of the world's governments (at least for now) recognize that VPNs are just technology that can be used for good or ill.
That means VPNs are legal in almost every country in the world. The countries that do restrict VPNs tend to be those where internet freedoms are already curtailed, like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. There are distinct gradations between those nations, though. And the days of worry-free VPN access elsewhere in the world is starting to show cracks: Currently free jurisdictions — including the UK, France and even several US states — are now considering bans.
Is it legal to use a VPN?
The answer is almost always yes. In every country except the ones listed in the next section, there are no legal penalties for visiting a VPN website, downloading a VPN or connecting to a VPN server.
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In the last few years, however, some countries that were once beacons of online liberty have started considering bans. This is part of a chain reaction that started with age verification laws for websites deemed harmful to children, most prominently the UK's Online Safety Act. Once everyone realized that anyone could circumvent the OSA by using a VPN server in another country, UK politicians began trying to ban VPNs as well. The same thing is currently happening in France. In the US, Wisconsin and Michigan are both proposing age verification laws and VPN bans.
For now, though, none of these VPN bans have passed into law. Some have been defeated by the coordinated efforts of activists, including one Swiss proposal that would have forced Proton VPN to relocate.
In countries that do ban or restrict VPN usage, the laws can take several forms. Some countries have made all VPNs unlawful to use. Others only allow VPNs approved by the government — approval which usually comes from agreeing to share information with law enforcement. In some other countries, it's legal to use a VPN, but you'll face extra penalties if you use one to commit a crime. I'll go through all these categories in the next section.
Where are VPNs illegal?
This section is a complete list of countries where using a VPN is a legal risk. If a country isn't on this list, you can assume it's safe to use a VPN. Even nations with bad internet freedom scores, like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, often don't have anti-VPN laws to avoid scaring off international business.
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