China initiated a major crackdown on VPNs last week when it announced that VPN usage will now need to be authorized by the state.
GWI’s data shows that Chinese users are turning to these tools to improve their online experience as well as to access information. Indeed, take a look at the top motivations for using VPNs in the country and it’s better entertainment content, access to restricted networks, and access to restricted sites at work that come top.
Crucially, though, VPN users in China are not just turning to these tools once in a while. As Tuesday’s chart demonstrates, almost 2 in 3 of them are employing VPNs at least once a week (with 16% being daily users). The potential for this development to seriously shake-up these users’ online lives is plain to see.
