On June 26, Proton VPN announced that it’s adding five countries to the list of free virtual servers before and after an election in a restrictive country. The VPN service already plans to offer free access to a server in 16 countries for two weeks before and one week after national or local elections.
“We want to ensure everyone can access accurate information before they go to the polls, which is why Proton VPN will support voters wherever we can by providing free VPN servers in countries with a history of censorship or political interference,” the VPN service said on its website.
Proton has noticed a dramatic increase in sign-ups for its VPN before and during elections already held this year. Pakistan was a notable case in January when the government blocked social media platform X because opposition candidates were reaching supporters there. The government even shut down the country’s internet for an entire day in an attempt to stifle opposition messaging.
In July, Proton VPN’s free virtual servers will be available in three countries that have a history of government suppression of free speech and media: Rwanda, Syria, and Venezuela. The government of Venezuela’s President Maduro has already stacked the deck heavily against the opposition, making unimpeded internet access even more important for opposition candidates.
Other countries where the free Proton VPN servers will be available later this year include Algeria, Jordan, Brazil, Mozambique, Somaliland, and Uzbekistan.
“By providing these free VPN servers to the people most likely to face censorship, we want to ensure people everywhere can get the information they need and have a right to receive,” Proton VPN added in its announcement.”
The VPN uses advanced anti-censorship features like its own Stealth VPN protocol and alternate routing to stay ahead of repressive governments that often attempt to block VPNs that their citizens use to access the open internet.