Venezuela has reportedly blocked more than 20 websites from some of the country’s best VPN providers.
These online restrictions came a day after President Maduro ordered a ban on TikTok for failing to appoint a local representative.
In fact, people have flocked to VPNs as a means to continue accessing the video-sharing app. In fact, Proton VPN confirmed to TechRadar a 1,600% increase in registrations across the country so far.
🚨IN DEVELOPMENT:They woke up blocked in Venezuela 🛑 More than 30 public DNS like 8.8.8.8🛑 More than 20 VPN websites🛑 TikTok #9Jan This makes it much more difficult to get informed and be in communication, in some cases leaving without an operational connection to…January 9, 2025
Today, January 9, 2024, Venezuelan digital rights group Ve Sin Filtro reported 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 the location of your real IP address. This last skill is exactly what is needed to bypass restrictions like those currently in place in Venezuela.
According to Ve Sin Filtro, the Tor browser and more than 30 DNS services are also restricted.
This is not the first time the government has aimed to bypass tools to prevent citizens from bypassing online restrictions. In July, before the presidential elections, citizens lamented the difficulties in using VPN applications.
At that time, Proton VPN suggested searching for apps directly through the AppStore or Google Play Store when using a mobile device. On desktop, you can download the VPN through the GitHub platform by clicking the “Code” button.
TechRadar has reached out to some of the companies involved to confirm this, but we’re still waiting for a response at the time of writing.
21 VPN providers affected
This is the complete list of restricted VPN websites in Venezuela as we write, according to data from Ve Sin Filtro:
Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the big names not on this list right now. PIA Privacy Advocate Jack Buckley confirmed to TechRadar that both the PIA VPN app and the provider’s official website are working normally.
He said: “Although 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 initial stage.”
TikTok ban continues
The Ven Sin Filtro team also confirmed that the TikTok block continues in Venezuela at the time of writing.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks first reported the block starting at midnight on January 8, 2025, “following a pattern of multi-hour daily restrictions.”
The block comes because the popular Chinese video-sharing app failed to meet the eight-day deadline issued by Venezuela’s Supreme Court to appoint a local representative.
