Social Media Blackout in Turkey Triggers 500% Spike in VPN Use
September 9, 2025 — Turkey is currently experiencing a sweeping internet blackout as authorities have blocked access to all major social media platforms amid escalating political tensions.
According to NetBlocks, a global internet watchdog, platforms including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp went dark on multiple networks beginning the evening of Sunday, September 7.
The disruption comes amid growing unrest, as Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), called for mass rallies following a police blockade of its Istanbul headquarters.
📉 Social Platforms Blocked
NetBlocks reports that networks in Istanbul were specifically targeted, with widespread outages continuing into Monday.
Isik Mater, Director of Research at NetBlocks, told TechRadar that the situation “remains unchanged at the time of writing,” confirming the block is still in place.
🔐 VPN Usage Soars
In response, Turkish citizens quickly turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) to regain access to the blocked platforms. Proton VPN, a popular privacy-focused service, recorded an hourly spike of over 500% in user signups on Sunday night.
A Proton spokesperson advised users in the region to enable the Stealth protocol and alternative routing options to bypass restrictions more effectively. “It may require a few extra steps and a few tries, but this is the optimal way to connect in these circumstances,” the spokesperson said.
⚠️ Censorship Amid Crisis
This is not the first time Turkey has resorted to internet restrictions during political unrest, but the scale and speed of this latest blackout have triggered international concern over press freedom and digital rights in the country.
Proton VPN also warned users to only download its apps from official sources, urging caution amid heightened risks of spyware and malicious lookalikes during such events.
Not the first time
This is far from the first time Proton VPN, currently ranked as one of the best free VPN services on the market, has recorded similar spikes in usage in Turkey as citizens attempt to navigate online disruptions.
In March, the provider registered a spike of +1100% as the government shut down all main social media platforms for 42 hours.
Before that, in 2024, Proton VPN signups skyrocketed by 1,400% in October and 4,500% in August amid similar blocks on social media services.
Citizens increasingly turned to Proton VPN in 2023, too. The company recorded a staggering 15,000% increase in February after Twitter was blocked following a deadly earthquake and a 2,100% spike in May as citizens prepared for potential blocks ahead of the presidential elections.
All this means, Proton explains, that many internet users in Turkey have already downloaded Proton VPN over the years. Therefore, “the increases are typically smaller than in other regions,” a Proton VPN spokesperson told TechRadar.
These spikes have occurred despite Proton VPN being among the 27 VPN providers restricted in Turkey, alongside NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and others. Specifically, their official websites are blocked in the country.
All in all, according to Surfshark’s data, this newest case marks Turkey’s 18th internet restriction since 2015, affecting X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp.