Recently, news about China completely banning VPNs from June has been spreading online, causing a lot of concern.
While there's no official announcement of a "June ban," a significant crackdown is definitely underway. The most visible sign is that a popular consumer VPN service, LetsVPN, announced it would stop its services in mainland China because it could no longer bypass the blocks. Furthermore, local police in provinces like Hubei have started publicly fining individuals for using VPNs to access sites like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. This shows the enforcement is shifting from just blocking services to penalizing individual users.
So, why is this happening now? There are several interconnected reasons.
First, China's amended Cybersecurity Law came into effect at the start of the year. This new law provides a stronger legal foundation for authorities to supervise internet traffic and punish violations, making it easier to justify actions like fining VPN users.
Second, there's a major push to contain financial risks, especially those related to cryptocurrencies. In February, several government agencies reiterated that all virtual currency activities are illegal. Since many of these transactions rely on VPNs to bypass controls, cracking down on VPNs is a direct way to choke off this activity.
Third, this is happening amid a broader "security decoupling" between China and the U.S. As Washington moves to restrict connections with Chinese telecom companies, Beijing is doing the same by limiting foreign software and tightening control over its own digital borders. This mutual distrust fuels stricter policing of cross-border data flows.
Finally, Chinese regulators have been very active in rolling out new rules for things like AI and cross-border data. This creates a general atmosphere of tightening control, and network enforcement tools like the Great Firewall are essential to making these new rules effective.
In short, the "June ban" rumor reflects a very real and intensifying enforcement campaign, driven by new laws and strategic priorities, even if a single, formal prohibition order hasn't been issued.
- VPN (Virtual Private Network): A service that hides your internet activity and location, often used to access blocked websites.
- Great Firewall (GFW): The combination of technology and legislation used by China to regulate the internet domestically.
- Cybersecurity Law (CSL): A comprehensive Chinese law that governs network operations, security, and data management.