On Sunday, numerous internet users reported experiencing “restricted access” to virtual private networks (VPNs) and poor internet connectivity.
The outage tracking website Downdetector recorded multiple complaints from users struggling to connect to VPN services, especially VPN Unlimited and Tunnelbear. Downdetector’s data indicated a peak of 10 outage reports for VPN Unlimited by 6:15 pm, while issues for Tunnelbear persisted until 7:29 pm.
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), several users posted about VPNs that were still operational, discussing slow speeds and restricted access. Many claimed that certain VPN services were completely inaccessible.
In Pakistan, VPNs are crucial for accessing X and other websites restricted by local regulations. In August, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) ramped up measures to control VPN use to limit access to X, which continues to be banned nationwide.
Read: PTA Confirms No VPN Ban in Pakistan Amidst Rumors
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in September, justified the ban on X for national security reasons, accusing the platform of being used by “separatists and terrorists”. Tarar emphasized that the ban was not meant to suppress free speech.
Despite the PTA’s denials in September regarding blocking VPNs, reports of restricted access have continued. A September study by the digital rights group Bytes For All (B4A) showed that Pakistani users accessing the internet via VPNs enjoyed better download speeds and faced fewer disruptions.
B4A’s latest report, based on a network health scan across various ISPs in Pakistan, revealed significant performance discrepancies between VPN and non-VPN connections, particularly in download speeds and retransmission rates.
