In 2018, the former Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota, initiated a campaign to ban all pornographic sites in Nepal. Subsequently, in 2023, the Nepal Government announced another ban on TikTok, citing its disruption of social harmony.
The ban on pornographic websites and TikTok in Nepal has reignited the debate on the effectiveness of internet censorship. While governments often cite moral or social reasons for these bans, the reality is that such measures are often futile in an age where VPNs are readily available.
VPNs: The Bane of Internet Bans
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, encrypt a user’s internet traffic and route it through a server in another location. This allows users to bypass geographic restrictions and access websites that are blocked in their country. The widespread availability and ease of use of VPNs make it incredibly difficult to effectively enforce website bans.
In Nepal, the TikTok ban has done little to stop its widespread use. Many users simply installed a VPN to continue creating and viewing content on the popular social media platform. The ban on pornographic sites has met a similar fate, driving users towards VPNs and less secure corners of the internet.
According to Ahrefs, TikTok remains among the top 10 most visited sites in Nepal. While some adult-oriented websites have seen a slight decrease in traffic, they still rank within the top 50.
Nepal’s Ban: A Case Study
Despite the ban on pornography and TikTok in Nepal, these sites and apps remain widely accessible through VPNs. This is not surprising, as countless countries worldwide have demonstrated that website bans are largely ineffective when determined individuals can easily work around them.
How does a VPN Work?
A VPN works by creating an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote VPN server. When you connect to a VPN, all your internet traffic is routed through this secure tunnel. Your original IP address is masked by the VPN server’s IP address, making it appear like you’re browsing from a different location. This encryption also scrambles your data, making it unreadable to anyone who might try to intercept it, such as hackers on public Wi-Fi or even your internet service provider.
The Impact on ISPs
ISPs (Internet Service Providers) find themselves in a difficult position when governments impose website bans. They are tasked with enforcing restrictions that are easily circumvented. This can lead to:
- Increased Costs: ISPs may have to invest in technology to block websites, leading to higher costs for consumers.
- Customer Dissatisfaction: Users frustrated with blocked websites may switch providers, harming ISPs’ business.
ISPs generally don’t have to pay more directly if a site is blocked and users access it using a VPN. Here’s why:
- Traffic is Traffic: Whether users access a blocked site through a VPN or not, from the ISP’s perspective, it still involves data transfer. They’ve already invested in the infrastructure to handle this traffic.
- Indirect Costs: However, there might be some indirect costs:
- Troubleshooting: If many users employ VPNs, ISPs might face increased support requests related to connectivity problems caused by VPN configurations.
- Filtering Efforts: Government-mandated blocking might require ISPs to invest in filtering technologies, potentially increasing costs.
- Competition: If a significant number of users turn to VPNs to access content and an ISP is seen as hindering that, it could lose customers to competitors perceived as less restrictive.
Overall, the direct cost to an ISP for individual users using VPNs to bypass blocks is usually minimal. However, large-scale circumvention efforts could incur indirect costs related to support, technology, and potential customer churn.
In conclusion, while governments might try to block specific websites or applications, ISPs remain obligated to provide the bandwidth their customers have paid for. Net neutrality principles, existing contracts, and infrastructure investments all contribute to the ISP’s responsibility to maintain service levels. While there might be indirect costs involved in managing user support or filtering requirements, direct costs related to VPN usage are usually negligible for the ISP.
