IPVanish Launches Emergency VPN to Help People Fight Online Censorship

• IPVanish has created a free program offering access to its VPN services for journalists and other eligible individuals.
• ‘Emergency VPN’ strengthens online security where sensitive situations threaten people’s online privacy.
• It is also aimed at preventing potential online surveillance or suppression of free speech. 

IPVanish Emergency VPN is a free program for eligible journalists and other qualifying individuals facing potential online censorship, surveillance, or suppression of free speech, offering three months of free VPN access that can be renewed as needed. Individuals who live in or travel to countries subject to limited or suppressed information exchange can apply immediately.

As a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative and a staunch supporter of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the U.S. National Cybersecurity Alliance, IPVanish is committed to the fight against censorship and surveillance. However, the U.S.-based VPN company is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and complies with embargo restrictions, which demonstrates its dedication to the cause within the confines of its operational environment. 

The application to this program requires information such as full name, email address, country of residence, motives for requirement, and information to verify user identity, such as social media handles. Some individuals may not be able to use this program based on the details they have provided in their application, as the company states they “may not be able to provide services to users in certain countries or regions.”

IPVanish’s Emergency VPN encrypts Internet traffic on users’ devices, hides their real IP address, and bypasses geographic blocking. This program provides 256-bit AES encrypted connections through applications for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Amazon Fire devices and does not log any network traffic over its VPN servers.

IPVanish launched in 2012 and offers 2,400+ in over 90 countries. It uses OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and WireGuard protocols and offers a kill switch, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, Threat Protection, and more. Despite past transparency concerns, it now operates under a no-logs promise.