Charlie Osborne/ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Increased concern about surveillance and censorship is driving more VPN downloads.
- VPN providers are transforming one-and-done encrypted tunnels into holistic security suites.
- NordVPN is preparing for privacy protection in a post-quantum future.
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Many VPN providers have noticed an uptick in downloads and installation of their software in recent times, with consumers displaying a renewed interest in protecting their online privacy — and avoiding new laws that censor the web.
How do VPN providers like Nord Security view their role in our increasingly privacy-challenged world?
Also: I’ve tested the best VPNs to find the fastest, most secure services
VPNs — short for Virtual Private Networks — are tools that enhance online privacy and security by creating a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet.
Here’s how they work: Once you download a VPN — typically on your PC, laptop, or mobile device — you connect to a server managed by the VPN provider, and an encrypted tunnel is forged between your device and the website or service you are trying to reach.
While VPNs add an extra step to browsing and may slow down your surfing, their encryption protocols help prevent eavesdropping and spying.
Also: Why I still recommend NordVPN to most people in 2025
New law is ‘a license for censorship’
In the UK, they are now also considered a way to circumvent the country’s new Online Safety Act.
The new law takes aim at so-called adult or harmful content, calling for age verification methods to be imposed on everything from pornography websites to Wikipedia. However, as with many tech-related initiatives launched by previous UK governments, the Act is already a disaster — easily bypassed, and the first step toward broader suppression of content.
The UK Online Safety Act highlights a growing problem. The Guardian, calling the legislation a “license for censorship,” noted that other countries may follow suit.
On a recent trip to Vilnius, Lithuania, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nord Security head of global PR Laura Tyrylyte and NordVPN chief technology officer Marijus Briedis to discuss the role of VPNs in a world where surveillance continues to encroach on our daily lives.
Also: The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested
NordVPN has observed a recent increase in downloads and considers the trend unsurprising. As Tyrylyte told me, in response to changing laws, “people are looking for any solution, [when] they Google, a VPN is perhaps the first thing [they come across].”
“The bigger problem is that people with a higher income are coming to us, or our competitors, such as premium VPNs,” Tyrylyte said. “But other people, especially younger people, who this law is trying to safeguard — they’re going to free VPNs.”
The problem with free VPNs
Why is this an issue? Because outside of a few noteworthy exceptions, including Proton VPN and Windscribe, most free VPNs undermine the very security and privacy they claim to protect. They collect, share, or sell your browsing data and personal information, or they bombard you with ads. But when you don’t have extra income and you’re frustrated by laws that strongarm you into handing over your information, you might go for what looks like the perfect, free solution.
Also: Want to avoid website blocks and age verification? These are the best free VPNs
It’s not just the risk of free VPNs that may cause more harm than the act itself. Individuals attempting to avoid hitting censorship walls can end up accidentally installing malicious software, falling for scams, or being exposed to harmful content by turning to the dark web to hide their internet presence.
“There are other ways to safeguard children,” Tyrylyte told ZDNET. “If governments were willing to discuss more with the private sector and cybersecurity experts, to implement those solutions, both goals could be achieved: Keep privacy for the people and give security to those who could be harmed.”
The UK government’s overreach aside, other countries are also exploring age verification and clampdowns on online content. So, where do VPNs fit in?
Broader security solutions to come
Tyrylyte expects VPN adoption to increase over time, and not only due to a growing desire to escape censorship. If NordVPN and its VPN competitors are going to stay relevant in this time of escalating cyberthreats, they must offer subscribers more than just an encrypted communication tunnel and a server network.
For example, NordVPN also provides threat protection and dark web monitoring. You can also find VPNs with secure cloud storage, password managers, data breach alerts, antivirus, and more — making many of them multi-layered security solutions rather than just a means to bypass geolocation blocks.
With this in mind, Nord Security, together with its VPN arm NordVPN, plans to expand its offerings to ensure it continues to gain traction as a VPN + security solutions provider.
Also: How I upgraded my home Wi-Fi with a VPN-ready router (and why it makes such a big difference)
Briedis told me that NordVPN’s 2025 product plans include a shift away from the map on the app’s centralized dashboard, a rather iconic feature that displays the server you are connected to on a world map. It’s a change I’m sad to see, to be honest, but NordVPN says it will improve user experiences by creating the space for more convenient settings placement and improved app troubleshooting.
In an effort to improve website access across multiple regions, Briedis told me, server coverage will be expanded to more locations this year — which includes virtual locations and enhancements to dedicated IP address usage.
Regarding maintaining VPN access to users and fighting censorship, NordVPN continues to improve NordWhisper, a protocol that mimics regular traffic to bypass restrictive network policies. WireGuard is one of the most popular protocols used by VPN providers due to its speed and use of encryption, but NordWhisper utilizes more agile cryptographic functions to increase access to VPNs where internet restrictions may be in place.
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While NordWhisper has already been released, NordVPN’s roadmap calls for a year of continual improvements. The company is currently submitting cryptographic agility patents as part of its research efforts.
“We want to make sure you can connect, wherever you are,” Briedis said.
When we consider the future of VPNs, providers must now also consider the emergence of quantum computing.
Bracing for quantum computing and AI
NordVPN has implemented quantum-safe encryption across its apps following discussions with experts in a bid to avoid “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks, in which data is collected now for exploitation once future quantum computers crack today’s typical cryptography standards.
The company is also testing Quick Connect features that utilize artificial intelligence to improve connection times, and said that while the use of AI is focused on this area for now, there may be scope in the future for new AI applications that improve its network.
Also: If you’re not working on quantum-safe encryption now, it’s already too late
“Quantum computing is going to come,” Briedis told ZDNET. “One of the biggest problems right now is error correction, and how that [works] with the world of AI. We are going to merge those together; it’s just a matter of time. It’s going to be an interesting decade or two.”
If you would like to explore how VPNs can improve your security, check out our guide on the best VPNs of 2025. Alternatively, we have also listed our top picks for the best streaming VPNs, the best travel VPNs, and the best VPNs for mobile.
Disclosure: My trip to Vilnius, Lithuania, was sponsored by Nord Security.
