Global VPN Usage Report 2020

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Global VPNUsage Report2020An exploration of VPNs andtheir users around the worldCO-BRANDED REPORT 2020top10vpn.com globalwebindex.com

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020ForewordSimon MiglianoHead of Research at Top10VPN.comOver the last decade, Virtual Private Networks (VPN) evolved from aniche tool for privacy obsessives to become an increasingly essentialconsumer product, used by all types of people around the world.In 2020 the popularity of consumer VPNs continues to grow, and thisonce-obscure piece of software is now on the verge of becoming amainstream internet security tool.However, the motivations for using VPNs are highly diverse. Whileinternet shutdowns and censorship have been the catalyst for recentsurges in VPN use in authoritarian countries, more democraticnations have seen a sharp increase in VPN adoption for a multitude ofdifferent reasons.top10vpn.com globalwebindex.comTo explore these trends and create the most comprehensive studyon the state of VPNs in 2020, Top10VPN.com partnered withGlobalWebIndex to produce the first Global VPN Usage Report. Thisone of a kind study is rich with new findings and statistics aboutVPNs and the people who use them.The Global VPN Usage Report 2020 puts the world of VPNs under themicroscope, presenting data from 42 countries - with a special focuson the U.S. and UK, to really shine a light on what makes these twomature markets tick.2

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020Key findings010203040531% of internet usersworldwide use a VirtualPrivate Network (VPN).72% of U.S. and UK VPNusers opt for free services;36% pay to use theirs.Indonesia (61%) and India(45%) are the biggestmarkets for VPN usage,though the biggest growthsince 2017 has comefrom mature markets likeAustralia (69% growth) andthe Netherlands(76% growth).In the U.S. and UK,secure browsing is VPNs’biggest draw, aboveaccessing entertainmentor restricted sites.While a need for privacydictates VPN adoption,the tools themselvessometimes escape thesame scrutiny. Users lookat speed and quality ofconnection when shoppingfor VPNs before they lookat privacy policies.top10vpn.com globalwebindex.com3

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020VPN usage by regionVPNs, seen by some as a niche tool, have becomea well-established part of the online landscape. 31%of internet users browse with the help of VPNs, andthe figure has been steadily growing since 2017.VPN USAGE IS GROWING STEADILYVPN USAGE BY REGION% of global internet users aged 16-64 who haveused a VPN in the past month% of internet users in each region who haveused a VPN in the past monthAs with many digital services, VPN usage comes outhighest in the fast-growth regions of Asia Pacificand the Middle East and Africa. There are two mainreasons for this. One is that internet users in thoseregions skew younger, more urban, and affluentrelative to the average population. This means theytend to be more comfortable with digital tools.40%The second is cultural; in those regions there isoften more justification to use a VPN, either toaccess bigger content libraries in other countries,or to safeguard internet activity from repressivegovernments. By breaking the data down furtherto look at each individual country, we can fill in thepicture even more.0%top10vpn.com estion: In the last month,which of these have you done?(Used a Virtual Private Network(VPN) or Proxy server) Source:GlobalWebIndex 2017-2019(averages of waves conductedbetween Q2 2017-Q4 2019)Base: 230,610 (2017), 391,130(2018), 493,256 (2019) internetusers aged 16-6425%31%35%24%35%North AmericaLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaEuropeAsia PacificQuestion: In the last month,which of these have you done?(Used a Virtual Private Network(VPN) or Proxy server) Source:GlobalWebIndex Q4 2019 Base:142,017 internet users aged 16-644

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020VPN usage by countryThe countries where VPNs are usedmost have some of the most stringentonline censorship laws. Of the top 10,Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,Thailand and Vietnam score below 50for their Freedom on the Net score,the metric created by independentwatchdog Freedom House to rankcountries for online restrictions andprotections. India and Indonesia, thetop two, are also two of the most prolificcountries for internet shutdowns.In tracing growth since 2017, you cansee how state action on VPNs goesone of two ways. In China, Egypt, andTurkey, government crackdowns onVPNs have stemmed their growth. Butin Russia, where similar laws have beenpassed, VPNs have had some of thebiggest growth of any country.Other countries showing impressivegrowth are those usually regardedas providing a good deal of digitalfreedom to their citizens. But the levelof growth in countries like Australiaand the Netherlands shows how recenttop10vpn.com globalwebindex.comsurveillance laws are compellinginternet users in all parts of theworld, not just those under repressiveregimes, to use VPNs. In somecountries protection from governmentsurveillance may not be the number onepriority, but there’s still other partiesusers want to hide their browsing from,whether it’s internet service providers,advertisers, or hackers.As we’ll see later, not all internet usersdeploy VPNs to protect their privacyonline. But in looking at rates of VPNadoption against attitudes to onlineprivacy, you get a sense of whichcountries they may take root in next.In South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, andSpain, we see the biggest gap betweenconcerns about data privacy and actualuse of VPNs. By contrast, Indonesia isunique among our tracked markets inthat more internet users there browsewith VPNs than actually feel concernedabout privacy, which is a testamentto how ingrained VPN use is in thecountry.VPN USAGE BY COUNTRY% of internet users in each country who have used a VPN in the last month*some markets added afterQ2 2017% growth since Q2 %-4%Saudi 2%UAE42%22%Hong Belgium24%40%South China29%-6%New 27%18%France20%47%Portugal27%31%South apan9%62%Question: In the last month,which of these have you done?(Used a Virtual Private Network(VPN) or Proxy server) Source:GlobalWebIndex Q2 2017 & Q42019) Base: 72,529 (Q2 2017) &142,017 (Q4 2019) internet usersaged 16-645

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020Who are VPN users?DEMOGRAPHICS OF VPN USERSPulling back to the global picture for a moment, we can define otherdemographic traits of VPN users, to build the picture of who exactlyuses them.% of internet users in the following demographics who have used a VPN in the last %Schoolinguntil age 16Schooling Trade/technical Universityuntil age 18 %Postgraduatedegree36%30%25%16%0%0%Bottom 25%Mid 50%top10vpn.com globalwebindex.comTop 25%Gen Z(16-22)Millennials(23-37)Gen X(38-55)Baby Boomers(56-64)Two findings jump out. First of all, VPN users skew male. This is in linewith patterns we find elsewhere in our data. For all privacy activitieswe track (including using private browsing windows, deleting cookies,and blocking ads), men take the lead. Our research also shows menare more likely to be interested in technology or computers, and to sayit’s important for them to have the latest technological products – so apronounced interest in tech is the likely cause. But even with that in mind,the number of internet users engaging with VPNs shows its user base isbigger than just technophiles.VPN providers often trumpet how their features can protect browsingactivity when traveling, so it would be easy to think that they’re a toolused mostly by a globetrotting, affluent class. VPN users are more likelyto go abroad, to stay in hotels, and to earn more – but not by much. VPNusage is relatively equal across income brackets.VPNs are tools that cut across demographics. There are a fewexceptions; VPN usage skews toward the more educated, and they’remore popular with tech-savvy younger generations. But they are makingmore headway with older age groups. VPN usage has grown by 37%among baby boomers since Q2 2017.Question: In the last month,which of these have you done?(Used a Virtual Private Network(VPN) or Proxy server) Source:GlobalWebIndex Q4 2019 Base:142,017 internet users aged 16-646

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020FrequencyVPNs have become an essential layer of internet browsing for their users.When we focus on the U.S. and UK, the majority of users go online with aVPN either every day, or at least once a week. VPNs aren’t used just forparticular occasions, but are much more consistent within day-to-day,week-to-week browsing. On top of that, most users think they will useVPNs indefinitely, not putting a cap on future use when asked how longthey plan to use them for. VPNs aren’t used solely when more privatebrowsing is preferred, or to unlock a restricted piece of content. They aremore ubiquitous within their users’ online lives.We know from our Core research that in the U.S. and UK, smartphonesare just as important to internet users as their PCs, and that hasheralded broader changes in media consumption and other onlinehabits. VPN use has followed suit. Mobile VPNs are in fact more popular(64%) than those on PC/laptop (62%) in those markets. The Top10VPN.com report on mobile VPN use demonstrates just how much VPN appdownloads have increased year-on-year, and judging from our research,they have now reached parity with PC-based software. Router VPNs,which require more technical know-how to set up, are more niche (8%).FREQUENCY OF VPN USAGEVPNs SET TO BE LIFELONG TOOLS% of U.S./UK VPN users who use themwith the following frequency% of U.S./UK VPN users who see themselvesusing VPNs for the following time periods41%At least once a week36%Every day/nearly every day44%Ongoing26%Don’t know8%3-6 months13%At least oncea month6%1-3months6%1-2years10%Less often7%6-12 months4%Up to 1 monthQuestion: You’ve said thatyou’ve used a VPN in the last 3months. How often do you use aVPN? Source: GlobalWebIndexJanuary 2020 Base: 536 (U.S.) &466 (UK) VPN users aged 16-64aged 16-64Question: How long do yousee yourself using a VPNfor? Source: GlobalWebIndexJanuary 2020 Base: 536 (U.S.) &466 (UK) VPN users aged 16-64top10vpn.com globalwebindex.com7

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020Why do people use VPNs?WHY ARE VPNs USED?% of U.S./UK VPN users who use them for the following reasons51%To protect privacy on public WiFi networks44%To browse the web anonymously37%To communicate more securely23%To access restricted download/stream/torrent sites22%To access better entertainment content22%To access sites/files/services when at work21%To avoid bandwidth throttling (ISPs limiting internet speeds)20%To hide browsing activity from the government18%To access censored websites/content18%To get deals/discounts when buying online14%To access a Tor browsertop10vpn.com globalwebindex.comWe’ve already established that 3 in 10 of internet users use VPNs. Tofully understand the reasons behind why they’re used, we can look toinsights from our custom research on the topic in the U.S. and UK.Within both markets, privacy concerns take priority over accessingentertainment. Even within the UK, where you might think envy of themore expansive U.S. entertainment market would play a role, it’s desireto browse with protection that rules the day.VPNs are most often used for protection in public WiFi networksspecifically (51%), followed by a general wish to browse the webanonymously (44%), or to communicate more securely (37%). Accessingbetter entertainment content is important to 22% of VPN users, and20% want to hide their browsing activity from the government.As online entertainment platforms have grown and spread globally, VPNshave come to prominence for allowing users to access content librariesotherwise restricted to them. In January 2020, Justin Bieber went so faras to share instructions to his fans of how to use a VPN to spoof theirlocation, and drive streaming figures of his latest single as a result.And VPN users are more likely to use most of the well-knownentertainment services*. Worldwide, they’re 25% more likely to useNetflix, and 31% more likely to use Amazon Prime Video. On the musicfront, they’re 35% more likely to use Spotify and 56% more likely to useApple Music. But VPN users are also more likely to pay for every type ofdigital content we track, so it’d be unfair to think of them as pirates.Accessing entertainment is not the priority in guiding internet users touse VPNs, and our research shows that much coverage of VPNs mightput too much emphasis on it. Even Gen Zers in the U.S. and UK, whoconsume over two hours of online TV per day, and 82% of whom useNetflix, view VPNs as a privacy protection tool above all else.*Further data on specificstreaming services can befound in the appendix.But what’s particularly intriguing is that the specific use-case of publicWiFi networks comes above the more general wish to browse the webanonymously. This is despite the fact that VPNs are used much more athome (81%) than they are in public places.This may be because perceived threats to online security are felt moreemotionally than logically. It’s possible that VPN users are quicker tomake an association with public WiFi, and its perceived lack of security,with the need for protection, and they don’t consider it in the contextof their online footprint as a whole. This is something that has beenheavily promoted by VPN providers in their TV advertising as well.Research from the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Penn StateUniversity throws some more light on why this may be the case.Academics there ran an experiment where they analyzed participants’behavior in four types of location – a coffee shop, an Airbnb, auniversity, and their home. They then asked participants to answer aseries of questions designed to elicit disclosure of sensitive information,such as whether they had watched pornographic material, or their levelof comfort in disclosing financial information. The researchers identifiedthat some participants had a higher “publicness heuristic”, which leadQuestion: Can you please tellus why you use a VPN whenusing the internet? Source:GlobalWebIndex January 2020Base: 536 (U.S.) & 466 (UK)VPN users aged 16-648

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020them to perceive the coffee shop network as less secure than theuniversity or home ones, and they disclosed less information aboutthemselves as a result.This “publicness heuristic” may also help explain our finding of publicWiFi networks being the biggest drivers of VPN usage, even if dataelsewhere doesn’t seem to support that conclusion. It may be that, inplaces where internet users are surrounded by other people offline, theyare quicker to associate said places with exposure online, and are morelikely to think of VPNs.In any case, it shows how internet users’ thoughts around onlinesecurity, exposure, and protection, often arise subconsciously.How internet users shop for VPNsEven though VPN users view them as a line of defence for protectingprivacy, the privacy policies of the tools themselves aren’t the mostimportant factor in deciding which VPN they use. 54% say the reliabilityof the connection is most important when choosing a VPN, along withits ease-of-use and speed (both 54%). There’s a danger here that VPNusers could be guided too much by marketing around connectionspeeds, when some VPNs have a poor record on actually protectingtheir users’ information.top10vpn.com globalwebindex.comAs Top10VPN.com has covered, many free VPN apps are fraught withsecurity risk. Despite this, free VPNs are more popular than their paid-forcounterparts. 72% use free VPNs, while 36% pay for theirs. Even for thehighest earners, free VPNs are more popular than paid ones.Tellingly, for those who use paid VPNs, but not free ones, data sharingwith third parties is the most common reason (54%) to go for the paidfor option. Nevertheless, connection quality is still front-of-mind as alack of performance restrictions comes in second place (47%). All thisshows that VPNs are clearly not exempt from how most online servicesare marketed; advertising VPNs with high speeds and free pricingmodels tempts many users, even if it comes at the expense of not fullyinvestigating privacy policies.Even so, 62% of VPN users, when given a list of qualities they wouldchoose to associate VPNs with, feel they are “secure”, a more popularoption than “useful” or “effective”. There may be a knowledge gap herebetween how users discover VPNs, how they perceive them, and thereality of a market that includes some bad actors. VPN users may believethat all kinds of VPN are secure to the same degree, when research hasshown this is not the case.Remarkably, only 26% associated VPNs with the term “legal”. It appears asif the vast majority of VPN users are unclear about their exact legal status,even in the U.S. and UK.FACTORS IN CHOOSING VPNS% of U.S./UK VPN users who say the following isimportant to them when choosing a VPNReliability of connection54%Ease-of-use54%Speed54%Privacy policy, including logging practices43%Price42%Advanced security features (e.g. split tunneling)30%Number of server locations29%Access to your favorite streaming sites27%Reviews from other users26%Allows torrenting/P2P23%Level of customer support21%Free trial period20%Question: What is mostimportant to you when choosinga VPN? Please select all thatapply. Source: GlobalWebIndexJanuary 2020 Base: 536 (U.S.) &466 (UK) VPN users aged 16-649

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020Online privacy: The bigger pictureSince 2013, we’ve seen internet users graduallybecome more concerned about their online privacy.But it’s been a slow growth, and one that can bequite sensitive to specific events. You’ll notice in theaccompanying chart a spike during Q1 2018, whichwe put down to fallout from the reporting aroundFacebook and Cambridge Analytica, as well as thebuildup to GDPR, both of which made data protectionfront-page news.PRIVACY CONCERNS ON THE MARCH% of global internet users who are concerned about the internet eroding their personal privacy80%67%60%It’s worth emphasizing that this wasn’t due tointernet users already concerned about privacysuddenly expressing a stronger opinion; it was thosewho swung from having no opinion into having astrong one on the subject. By the next wave, though,it reverted back to its previous level.56%57%58%60%59%57%59%60%62%61%59% 60%56%40%20%Q3 Q42013top10vpn.com globalwebindex.comQ1Q2 Q32014Q4Q1Q2 Q32015Q4Q1Q2 Q32016Q4Q1Q2 Q32017Q4Q1Q2 Q32018Q4Q1Q2 Q32019Q4Question: To what extent doyou agree with the statementsbelow on your outlook ontechnology and the web? (I amconcerned about the interneteroding my personal privacy)Source: GlobalWebIndex Q32013-Q4 2019 Base: 1,187,888internet users aged 16-6410

GLOBAL VPN USAGE REPORT 2020Other privacy toolsVPN users are more likely than theaverage internet user to take othermeasures to protect their online privacy.A VPN user is likely to delete cookiesand use private browsing windows aswell, whereas someone who uses an adblocker will probably delete cookies andbrowse privately, but might not make thejump to a VPN.You can look at this data another way.44% of internet users will block ads,delete cookies or browse privately, buttop10vpn.com globalwebindex.comwon’t use a VPN. That’s a substantialnumber of internet users who haveactive interest in protecting theirprivacy, but may not be aware of theend-to-end protection VPNs offer, ormay be unsure of how exactly to useone. Then there is a quarter

we track (including using private browsing windows, deleting cookies, and blocking ads), men take the lead. Our research also shows men are more likely to be interested in technology or computers, and to say it’s important for them to have the latest technological products – so a pronounced interest in tech is the likely cause.

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