According to TechRadar, Pakistan has reportedly begun blocking major unregistered VPN services, with Proton VPN confirming its apps have been restricted there since December 22. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) resumed VPN licensing in November 2025 and has already granted the first set of licenses to five local companies. Users on Reddit and data from OONI Explorer suggest other providers like ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Mullvad, and Cloudflare WARP may also be affected, though companies like NordVPN say they haven’t noticed disruptions. The crackdown aims to regulate VPN use, which has been a crucial tool for Pakistanis to access often-blocked social media platforms like X, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
The bigger picture on digital control
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just about stopping people from scrolling X. It’s part of a much longer, global trend. As Proton VPN‘s General Manager David Peterson pointed out, Pakistan is now following the playbook of countries like Russia, China, and Iran. They’re trying to control the informational perimeter. The PTA talks a good game about “secure and lawful” services, but let’s be real—the primary function of a VPN in Pakistan has been to bypass state-mandated blocks. So when they license only five local companies, you have to wonder about the oversight and potential for surveillance. It creates a “safe” channel that’s also completely monitorable by authorities.
Why the crackdown now?
Pakistan has been trying to do this for years. They had a false start in 2024, and an initial ban was stopped by the Law Ministry. But they kept at it. Granting those first licenses in November was the green light. Now, they’re enforcing it. It seems like the government is trying to thread a needle: allowing some VPN use for businesses and privacy, but eliminating the wild west of uncensored access. The problem is, in practice, it just makes life harder for ordinary citizens and activists who rely on these tools for basic communication and security. And let’s not forget, VPNs aren’t just for politics—people use them for everything from streaming geo-blocked content to securing their banking info on public Wi-Fi.
Can users still find a way?
Probably, at least for now. The cat-and-mouse game is already underway. The VPN companies themselves are recommending workarounds. Proton says to update your app and switch to its Stealth Protocol, which obfuscates traffic to look like regular internet browsing. Surfshark and NordVPN have similar “camouflage” modes like NoBorders and NordWhisper. The advice is also to try newer servers or servers in smaller countries, and to switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, as different ISPs might have different blocking capabilities. But this is a temporary fix. If Pakistan’s PTA gets more sophisticated in its detection—and they likely will—these protocols will need to evolve constantly. It’s an arms race.
What happens next?
I think we’ll see a period of instability. Some VPNs will work some days, then drop, then come back. Users will flock to the services that stay up the longest, until those get targeted too. The licensed local VPN providers will get a boost, but will anyone who values their privacy actually trust them? Doubtful. The real consequence is a gradual chilling effect and a stratified internet. Tech-savvy users with resources will stay a step ahead. Everyone else will be forced onto the filtered, monitored web. It’s a stark reminder that digital rights are fragile, and the tools we take for granted can be switched off with a policy change. For now, if you’re in Pakistan, update your apps and try those stealth protocols. The game is on.
