One of our featured best VPN providers, IPVanish, has launched a free Emergency VPN plan with the aim of keeping anyone subject to online surveillance or censorship safe.
Through Emergency VPN, journalists and other individuals who may be censored can gain access to three months of no-log VPN access for free. To get access to Emergency VPN, individuals must validate their qualifications and eligibility by submitting a support request along with their credentials.
Doug Haden, VP of customer success at IPVanish, explained: “Increasingly, citizens around the world are being silenced for fighting against oppression, which stands in stark contrast to IPVanish’s commitment to a free and open internet.
"We’re proud to offer this tool to protect users’ communications and maintain privacy when sharing information online.”
Chief commercial officer at IPVanish, Subbu Sthanu, noted that Emergency VPN is part of IPVanish's efforts in fighting censorship:
“As founding members of the VPN Trust Initiative and long-time supporters of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the U.S. National Cybersecurity Alliance in the fight against censorship and surveillance, IPVanish is proud to support individuals and organizations advocating for online privacy and internet freedom.
“We recognize that privacy isn’t just a convenience for some; it’s a requirement to maintain their safety. We’re proud to provide free Emergency VPN access to those helping to distribute vital information.”
Emergency VPN was developed with "situations of relief, political unrest, turmoil, or other restrictions on internet access" in mind. As such, not only does it offer encryption for all data and communications, meaning they cannot be spied on, users can also obfuscate their location. This adds another layer of security and protection against those who want to silence them or pry on their internet activity.
IPVanish has recommended that those who will be traveling to areas impacted by online censorship apply for Emergency VPN before traveling. For those who are currently in areas where the internet is censored, IPVanish recommends applying for Emergency VPN immediately. You can learn more about Emergency VPN on IPVanish's website.
