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Virtual private networks (VPN) can be used to bypass school firewalls, which are often used by schools to censor internet access. A virtual private network essentially creates a secure connection between the user’s device and another computer, encrypting all internet traffic flowing in either direction. Using a VPN allows students to securely bypass their school’s firewall by routing the encrypted data through the VPN provider’s servers instead of directly from their own devices. While VPNs are legal in most countries, they are banned or restricted in some places.

In 2014 Russia made it illegal for any person within Russia to use an anonymous proxy server designed to hide the real IP address of that machine.  The law does not carry with it any restrictions on VPNs, because VPN data is still routed through the provider’s servers.

Iran has banned all unlicensed virtual private networks to prevent users from bypassing censorship.   The ban was announced via statements made by an Iranian official in January 2016 and took effect soon after. However, the law only prohibits individuals or companies who are not licensed by the government to run a VPN service, making it legal for Iranians to continue using VPNs as long as they use one of the few approved providers.

China has restricted access to many well-known VPN providers within China since 2012, but there are numerous other options available that allow users within China to connect with foreign servers, unlocking a world of unrestricted internet access.  There are also many different ways to disguise VPN traffic, making it extremely difficult for the Great Firewall to detect and block.

In a country where censorship is a major issue, anything that circumvents government controls might be considered illegal. However, most countries have not made specific laws regarding VPN use.    

Yes – there are no specific laws in most countries against using Virtual Private Networks or proxies because they are primarily used by businesses rather than individual home users. If you live in a place with strong censorship laws then you may be at risk of being fined or arrested if you’re caught using them to bypass school restrictions on your internet access.      

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network that makes use of the public telecommunication infrastructure like the internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization’s network. There are two services that offer VPN: The first service is generally free and allows you to create a connection through another country, encrypting all your traffic and “tricking” applications into thinking you’re somewhere else. The second service usually involves paying for a plan and it provides you with servers located in various places around the world as well as an encrypted connection. This second option tends to be far more reliable than the first one but it also costs money. The best free VPN ranking is available on vpntesting website.

Did you know that it is actually legal to use a virtual private network (VPN) in school? It’s true, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check with your administrators before doing so. By using a VPN on the school network, you may inadvertently be violating some policies.

Some schools block the use of certain websites to prevent students from wasting time or sharing inappropriate content while at school. For example, many schools limit access to social networks like Facebook and YouTube because they are seen as distractions. When these sites are blocked by the administrator of your school’s server, there is no way for you to visit them unless you connect through another computer that has an internet connection that isn’t restricted by the same filters used on your own machine (for example through a public library).