ProtonVPN, one of the world’s leading VPN providers, has committed to hosting free services to 15 additional countries during their respective elections in 2024, in an attempt to help voters “can access accurate, reliable, and trustworthy information” in the run-up to their election days.
In a blog post published earlier today, the company announced that they will provide free access to 15 countries, stating:
In order to give voters in each country enough time to make use of the service, Proton go on to explain that they will be switching on the servers two weeks before each country’s election day, which will continue for an extra week afterwards.
Which Countries will ProtonVPN extend their free service to?
As stated in their recent post, ProtonVPN announced that they will be operating free server access during elections in the following countries:
Country | Date of Election Day |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | February 14th |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | February 25th |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | March 9th |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey (local) | March 31st |
| 🇹🇬 Togo (parliamentary) | April 20th |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | May 6th |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | June 22nd |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | July 15th |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | October 9th |
| Somaliland | November 13th |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | November 30th |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | December 15th |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | [unannounced] |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | [unannounced] |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | [unannounced] |
How does it work?
With what it calls “Smart Routing technology”, Proton offers their services to countries with poor internet connections and other restrictions by using VPN servers in neighbouring countries.
Through these servers, users simulate their IP addresses to the restricted country they’re located in, providing them with a secure connection to the internet to circumnavigate censorship.
Why VPNs are important for tackling censorship
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) first emerged in the late 1990s as a response to the growing need for secure and private internet connections.
Initially developed for corporate use to safeguard sensitive data transmission, VPNs slowly gained popularity amongst private users during the early years of the internet. Today, it’s estimated that there are around 1.5 billion VPN users globally.
In essence, VPNs have become essential tools for combating censorship and circumventing geo-restrictions imposed by governments and content providers. By encrypting internet traffic and masking users’ IP addresses, VPNs enable individuals to bypass censorship measures and access blocked websites or online services. This capability empowers users to freely express their opinions, access information, and participate in online activities without fear of surveillance or censorship.
Disclaimer: This article was made with minimal assistance from a Large Language Model (LLM).
