Are VPNs legal?

"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."

"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."

VPNs are lawful in nearly every country because most governments treat them as neutral tools that can facilitate privacy and legitimate uses. A minority of countries with curtailed internet freedom—such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea—restrict or ban VPNs. Recently, jurisdictions that previously allowed unrestricted VPN use have begun considering bans linked to age verification and online safety laws; examples include proposals in the UK, France and some US states like Wisconsin and Michigan. Activist pushback has defeated some proposals and blocked measures such as a Swiss proposal targeting Proton VPN. Legal restrictions take multiple forms.

Read at Engadget