India’s new VPN rules spark fresh fears over online privacy


A man uses his mobile phone while charging at a public-charging station in a market area in New Delhi. India ranks among the top 20 countries in VPN adoption, according to AtlasVPN’s global index, with users surging in 2020 and 2021 – as they did worldwide – as companies secured their networks with more people working from home amid the pandemic. — AFP

Virtual private networks (VPNs) that encrypt data and provide users with anonymity online have seen a surge in use in India in recent years as the government tightened its grip on the Internet to curb dissent, and as more people worked from home.

Now, some VPN providers are leaving India while others are considering doing so ahead of new rules that the government says are aimed at improving cybersecurity, but that the firms argue are vulnerable to abuse and could put users’ data at risk.

Subscribe now and receive FREE sooka plan for 1 month.
T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

This robot learned to clean a sink by imitating humans
Think twice before sharing photos of your kids online, experts say
UK consumer group takes on Apple over iCloud service
FBI raids Polymarket CEO's home, seizing phone, electronics
Major Apple supplier Foxconn expected to report strong Q3 results on AI boom
Visa says EU regulator probing fees charged to retailers
Bankman-Fried lieutenant builds fraud detection tool for prosecutors
US labor board bans mandatory anti-union meetings in ruling against Amazon
Cisco beats earnings expectations as AI spurs networking gear demand
Musk's X taps former Tubi executive Banki as CFO

Others Also Read