What is a VPN exactly?

Think of it as an encrypted tunnel that lets you browse the internet in total privacy. When you sign up for a VPN service, it first jumbles up all your data so no one can read it. And it hides your device’s unique IP address—rerouting it via one of its servers so it can’t be traced back to you. There are free VPN services and the paid variety. They are widely used by both individuals and companies.

And why would anyone use a VPN?

Here are a number of good reasons:

• You can protect your data when you are using public wi-fi networks, say, in a cafe. It hides information like browsing history, banking information, account passwords—which may be attractive to hackers. 
• You can hide your data from your internet provider. Without a VPN, an Airtel or Jio has access to all your online data. They can see exactly where, when and what you browse.
• VPNs can also block nosy apps like Facebook from collecting information about your activity—including location etc.
• The networks offer data security to companies when their employees are working from home or some other remote location. They can access the office network—and share or look at confidential information—without worrying about hackers.
• It helps you access geo-blocked sites and apps like TikTok or PuBG. And since you can pretend to be anywhere in the world, you can access Netflix US or Hulu—basically any kind of content that is not available online in India.

Why does the committee want to ban it?

The recommendation: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs issued a petition to ban all VPN services: 

“The Committee notes with anxiety the technological challenge posed by VPN services and Dark Web, that can bypass cyber security walls and allow criminals to remain anonymous online. As of date, VPN can easily be downloaded, as many websites are providing such facilities and advertising them. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs should coordinate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to identify and permanently block such VPNs with the help of internet service providers.” [emphasis added]

The Committee went further to insist that the government coordinate with international agencies to ensure the ban is effective—and stay on top of the latest tracking and surveillance technology so it can ensure no Indian can access VPNs.

The rationale: is simple. Bad people use VPNs to evade detection of criminal activity. The government should therefore ban them. 

How it would work: The government will issue an order to all internet service providers to block the protocols and ports used by these VPNs—and our access to their sites. In fact, there is evidence that Jio is already blocking VPNs—without any official government directive.

Key point to note: Other governments have found ways to track criminals despite the use of VPNs, as Mint notes: 

“Essentially, the VPN service provider is a centralized entity which can still track what its users are doing. Many service providers encrypt  traffic  to  offer  more  privacy to users, but there are more than enough examples worldwide of  law enforcement  officers  tracking  down criminals despite their using VPNs for their dirty work… In 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  shut  down a  dark  web market-place called Silk Road, selling everything from drugs to humans, and made an arrest.”

Also this: The petition conveniently conflates VPNs with the Dark Web—which can only be accessed by using TOR (The Onion Router). TOR gives access to a hidden and anonymous network of sites which we call the Dark Web. VPNs merely give secure access to the normal, open internet. 

What’s wrong with a ban?

It is bad for democracy, and it is bad for business.

One: Back in 2018, the government issued an order authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor, or decrypt digital communications. Much of the attention at the time was on implications for WhatsApp and social media platforms—and their privacy policies. But this also applies to internet service providers which have detailed information about your online activity. VPNs offer freedom from government surveillance—which is why the most repressive governments ban them, including China, Russia, Iran and Iraq.

As Internet Freedom Foundation’s Apar Gupta points out, VPNs have to be viewed “in the larger perspective of the absence of privacy protection or data protection framework in India, as well as the wide-ranging surveillance powers which the Indian state enjoys.”

Two: A VPN is essential for any business whose employees work remotely or from home at least part of the time. And most companies today rely on these secure internal networks for daily operations. The Committee proposal has alarmed India Inc, and for good reason:

“It’s a very strange and hare-brained idea to block VPNs. It is going to be counter-productive, especially for businesses. During Covid most organisations, domestic or global, worked from home. All have been using VPNs to secure their network for conducting businesses remotely. To ban VPN will set a bad precedent and destroy the internet as a medium to conduct business safely.”

Point to note: VPN usage in India jumped from 3.3% in 2020 to 25.3% between January and June, 2021.

The bottomline: Governments that are afraid of VPNs are also governments that are afraid of a free and open internet.

Reading list

There isn’t much more to read. Mint has a good overview of the Committee petition and its implications. Hindu Business Line offers India Inc’s point of view. Forbes explains why VPNs are very useful. Cnet has a handy guide to the best VPNs.