According to TechRadar, 2025 has been a brutal year for internet freedoms with major restrictions during political upheaval in Tanzania and Cameroon, plus widespread age verification laws hitting the UK, multiple US states, European countries, and soon Australia. Governments are forcing users to share sensitive personal details just to access content deemed inappropriate for minors. The best VPN services have responded by offering privacy protection and free speech tools. With Black Friday deals making this the cheapest time to buy, NordVPN consistently tops independent tests while Proton VPN expands its anti-censorship capabilities. Surfshark’s security bundle also stands out as governments worldwide consider even more restrictive internet policies.
Why this internet crackdown changes everything
Here’s the thing – we’re not just talking about the usual suspects anymore. When Western democracies start implementing mandatory age verification that requires handing over government IDs or facial scans, we’ve crossed into new territory. Suddenly, accessing basic information online comes with a privacy cost that many people aren’t comfortable paying. And in countries experiencing political instability, internet shutdowns have become a standard tool for controlling information flow. Basically, 2025 made it clear that digital rights can’t be taken for granted anywhere.
How VPNs actually bypass these restrictions
So how do these services actually help? A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and their server, meaning your ISP can’t see what you’re accessing. But more importantly, it lets you appear to be browsing from another country entirely. Want to access content blocked in your region? Just connect to a server in a country without those restrictions. All the traffic gets encrypted too, which makes it much harder for anyone to monitor or block your activity. It’s like having a private highway that bypasses all the roadblocks.
The trade-offs you should know
Now, VPNs aren’t magic bullets. Some services can slow down your connection, and free VPNs often come with serious privacy compromises. There’s also the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between VPN providers and platforms trying to detect and block VPN traffic. That’s why protocols like NordVPN’s NordWhisper and Proton’s Stealth are constantly evolving – they’re designed to make VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic. The good providers are always one step ahead, but it’s an arms race that never really ends.
Choosing the right protection for you
Looking at the options, each service brings something different to the table. NordVPN has become the mainstream favorite for good reason – it just works reliably across most situations. Proton comes from that hardcore privacy background, which matters if you’re dealing with serious censorship. And Surfshark’s bundle approach makes sense if you want comprehensive protection beyond just VPN. The bottom line? With internet freedoms shrinking globally, having a reliable VPN has shifted from “nice to have” to essential digital self-defense. And honestly, given how cheap these Black Friday deals are, there’s really no excuse not to protect yourself.
