- Iranian officials would discourage citizens from using free popular VPN applications
- The request for VPN has climbed among the Iranians since June 13, 2025, when the recent restrictions on the Internet began
- Internet connectivity would also have been low across the country since June 18
While the inhabitants of Iran are looking for ways to remain connected, the Iranian authorities warn its citizens to use the VPN services.
In a tweet on Monday, the nation warned its citizens that free VPNs not only put their own data in danger, but also the security of the whole country.
“More than half of the free VPNs collect your very sensitive information and send it to servers abroad, to your knowledge or to your authorization. Hola VPN transfers user data to a company called Luminati, which is based in Israel”, reads a shared tweet on Monday, June 23, 2025, by the press agency Fars, which is managed by the body of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
بیش از نصف فیلت Sosermen خارج از کشور ارسال میکند. فیلترشکن Hola VPN ، اطلاعات کاربران را به برکتی بهنام luminati منتقل میکند که در اسرائیل مستcer است. pic.twitter.com/tcrhzkeggiJune 23, 2025
The warning has been delivered with an arrow request in Iran since June 13, after application of the restrictions on the Internet.
The data from TOP10VPN have confirmed peaks up to 707% compared to the reference level, the point of the VPN request is still in progress at the time of the editorial staff.
Despite this increase, however, the use of VPNs also seems to be a target in the country, users moving that their applications do not work consistently.
Since June 18, Iran has also experienced an occasion on the Internet almost total, as reported by Netblocks on the Internet Watchdog, which has an impact on the possibility of using the best VPN applications.
Is the use of a free VPN without danger?
We have long warned of the risks of using free VPN services at Techradar. Some free VPN applications can collect user data to target them with ads or simply to sell one. Pirates can also use these applications to spread malware and other malware.
Hola VPN, in particular, turned out to sell the inactive bandwidth of its users via Luminati in 2015. It is also sadly famous for collecting a lot of identifiable information on its users.
Research manager at TOP10VPN, Simon Migliano agrees that Hola VPN and other unsafe gifts are a bad choice for Iranians (or anyone else) because of their serious shortcomings in terms of confidentiality and security.
That said, Migliano told Techradar, “for the Iranian government to ask its citizens to avoid all free VPNs is simply fallacious”.
“The truth is that there are several free confidence VPNs, such as Proton VPN and Windscriber, which use solid security standards alongside confidentiality operating policies.
Iranian Information Security Analyst and Women’s Rights Defender Azam Jangrevi also confirmed to Techradar that Iranian authorities had previously published VPNs that are not safe.
She said: “Iranian officials discourage free tools, citing poor encryption, misuse of data and potential links to surveillance schemes. Some” free “VPN applications may have been developed or quietly arranged by authorities to monitor online behavior under the cover of confidentiality.
“Digital rights defense groups advise Iranians to rely on renowned paid VPNs with stealth functionality, rotation suppliers when blocked and to avoid downloading applications via suspicious links or advertisements.”
Iran’s VPN repression
Iranian authorities have long tried to prevent the use of VPN in Iran. Iran was second behind China for VPN censorship in 2023.
These blocks continued in 2024, Iran at the top of the VPN censorship list in the country’s official application stores.
In February 2024, the Iranian authorities went further by prohibiting the use of “unauthorized” VPN without legal permit. Three months later, the government also raised an internet bill which could use VPN use more.
However, as Jangrevi said to Techradar: “Despite strong censorship, the use of VPNs in Iran has increased in response to the occasion imposed by the state. Users report that VPN paid with advanced darkness still work, but not reliably.”
