Mozambique VPN usage soars as internet restrictions continue
It’s the first time the country has resorted to strict internet censorship during protests
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Update: On November 6, 2024, social media remains restricted but mobile connections have been restored for the time being.
People in Mozambique are increasingly resorting toVPN servicesto bypass ongoing online restrictions in the wake ofdeadly protestscontesting the election results.
Authorities firstdisrupted mobile internetconnections on October 25, as protests erupted across the country the day before. WhatsApp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagramall went darka few days after that, on October 31, making using a VPN necessary to keep using these platforms.
Proton VPNconfirmed a 127,830% spike during the day to TechRadar. “Usage continues to rise quickly as internet access remains intermittent,” David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, told me. Other data suggests a VPN demandincrease of 2,072%so far.
These numbers aren’t anything but surprising considering that TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube also joined the list of blocked platforms on November 4 – internet watchdogNetBlocks reported. As the tweet below shows, while mobile connections are back from a third day of curfew-style internet blackouts, social media platforms remain restricted as I write.
⚠️ Update: Traffic data show #Mozambique has emerged from a third day of curfew-style mobile internet blackouts. However, social media platforms remain restricted as authorities continue to impose measures to curtail protests over disputed election results pic.twitter.com/PoEM1slgwPNovember 6, 2024
This is the first time that the East African country has restricted the internet since 2015, whenSurfsharkbegan tracking these incidents worldwide – the VPN provider told me. Yet, this is far from the first instance that a government resorted to a social media or internet blackout during political turmoil.
Only last week, another East African country,Mauritius enforced asocial media shutdownahead of general elections. The ban hasnow been lifted, despite being expected to stay in place until November 11, 2024.
As perSurfshark data, protests are one of the leading causes of social media disruptions, with Facebook alone being disrupted almost 40 times since 2015 for this reason.
Proton recorded VPN usagespikes in at least 14 countriessince January alone, with most of these incidents linked to internet restrictions enforced amid social unrest. These includeBangladeshin July, Kenya at the end of June,New Caledoniain May, andSenegalin February.
“At times of political crisis, the answer is never to shut down the internet, or to block social media,” said Peterson. “It is an affront to people’s fundamental rights to freedom of information and freedom of communications, at a time when communication and impartial information are more important than ever.”
Why are people turning to VPNs to bypass online restrictions?
You might have heard ofvirtual private network(VPN) solutions as a way to be more private when browsing the web. You and your friends have probably tried to use astreaming VPNto access foreign catalogs, too, no matter where you are in the world. Likewise, a VPN can help you bypass other geo-restrictions like those in place on social media platforms in Mozambique right now.
This is because, while encrypting your internet connections to prevent third-party snooping, a VPN also spoofs your real IP address location to trick your internet service provider (ISP) into thinking you’re browsing from a totally different country within a couple of clicks.
Data suggests a VPN demand increase of 2,072% so far
Therefore, if you are currently in Mozambique, all you need to do to keep using all the major social media apps is connect to aVPN serverlocated in a country where these platforms are still available.
As mentioned earlier, many people in the country have already turned to these apps to bypass restrictions. “Thirteen of the top fifteen apps in Mozambique’s Apple App Store are VPN apps, and the top nine apps on Mozambique’s Google Play Store are all VPNs,” Peterson from Proton VPN can confirm.
It’s worth noting a VPN doesn’t work during times of total online blackout as you’ll still need an internet connection to use this tool. In this instance, you should try to access the web via a fixed internet line instead as authorities are only targeting mobile connections at the time of writing.
I strongly suggest checking our guide to the bestfree VPNapps to download the most secure freebie out there. Free services like theTor Browsercan also help you to workaround internet censorship.
Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up.She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com
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