What’s particularly interesting is the apparent contradiction between the most common reason for using a VPN in the U.S. and UK use the software primarily for privacy and security purposes rather than to gain access to entertainment or geo-restricted content. We can see from the above that VPN users in the U.S. To get deals/discounts when buying online To hide browsing activity from the government To avoid bandwidth throttling (ISPs limiting internet speeds) To access sites/files/services when at work To access restricted download/stream/torrent sites To protect privacy on public Wifi networks and UK VPN users who consider each reason for using a VPN as important to them when choosing a service. The following table shows the percentage of U.S. In the following sections, we take a deeper dive into VPN usage in the mature VPN markets of the U.S. We also identified that VPNs are becoming more popular with baby boomers, with usage growing by 37% since 2017. Other trends include that VPNs are favoured by more tech-savvy younger generations and that VPN usage increases with education level. The highest-earners are the most likely to use a VPN, linked to affluent users often being more frequent travellers. Over a third of male internet users (36%) used a VPN during the month leading up the research, compared to 26% of female internet users. We can see that men are almost 40% more likely to use a VPN than women. The following chart indicates the age group of internet users worldwide who have used a VPN in the past month. The following chart indicates the income levels of internet users worldwide who have used a VPN in the past month. The following chart indicates the level of education of internet users worldwide who have used a VPN in the past month. The following chart indicates the gender split of internet users worldwide who have used a VPN in the past month. However, it’s possible to attribute this growth to the introduction of unpopular new surveillance laws in both countries during the period since 2017, which is the baseline for comparison.įor a comprehensive list of countries, see the full report. The figures in the Growth in VPN Use column reflect the change in each country in the number of internet users who had used a VPN in the past month in Q1 2020 compared with Q2 2017.Īt first glance the results seem counterintuitive as the greatest relative growth in VPN penetration has been in countries with high levels of digital freedom, such as Australia and the Netherlands. The following table shows the top 10 countries by growth in VPN usage. While India is the world leader in internet shutdowns and also forces Internet Service Providers to block adult content. In Indonesia, for example, authorities ramped up censorship to unprecedented levels during the 2019 presidential elections. It’s clear from our findings that the highest levels of VPN penetration are found where censorship and digital repression are heaviest, and – crucially – where their use remains legal. The following table shows the top 10 countries by VPN usage, calculated as a percentage of internet users in that country who have used a VPN in the last month. and UKĭownload the Global VPN Usage Report 2020 VPN users’ perception of the threat to their data in the U.S.The overlap with use of other privacy tools in the U.S.and UK, to really shine a light on what makes these two mature markets tick. The Global VPN Usage Report 2020 puts today’s world of VPNs under the microscope, presenting data from 42 countries – with a special focus on the U.S. This one-of-a-kind study is rich with new findings and statistics about VPNs and the people who use them. To explore these trends and create the most comprehensive study on the state of VPNs in 2020, we partnered with GlobalWebIndex to produce the first Global VPN Usage Report. While internet shutdowns and censorship have been the catalyst for recent surges in VPN use in authoritarian countries, more democratic nations have seen a sharp increase in VPN adoption for a multitude of different reasons. However, the motivations for using VPNs are highly diverse. In 2020 the popularity of consumer VPNs continues to grow, and this once-obscure piece of software is now on the verge of becoming a mainstream internet security tool. Over the last decade, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) evolved from a niche tool for privacy obsessives to become an increasingly essential consumer product, used by all types of people around the world.
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