Bangladesh Protests, Internet Censorship, and VPN Usage Trends

Bangladesh's youth protests against civil service corruption are driving a surge in VPN usage for internet access.

### The Complex Landscape of Internet Censorship and VPN Usage
* 🌐 In Bangladesh, the establishment of a private network with Google servers involves a **convoluted process**, highlighting the challenges of internet connectivity amid ongoing protests related to the **civil servant quota system**.
* 📢 These protests, primarily driven by **young people in their 20s and 30s**, stem from a controversial quota that favors **children of national heroes**, leading to accusations of **corruption and privilege**.
* 📱 Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram play a **crucial role in communication among the youth**, prompting the government to impose **internet censorship amid rising unrest**.
* 🔒 The response to censorship has seen a **staggering 51% increase in VPN usage**, as individuals seek ways to **bypass restrictions and maintain access to information**.
* 🚫 Censorship in Bangladesh draws parallels to other countries, particularly China, where **VPNs are essential for accessing blocked content**, and travelers must **navigate strict mobile inspections**.
* 🛡 VPNs, initially designed for **secure data transmission**, have evolved into tools for **circumventing censorship**, but their original purpose is often overshadowed by **misconceptions and stigmas associated with anonymity**.
* 🔍 Despite VPNs providing a layer of privacy, they do not eliminate the possibility of **tracking users' IP addresses**, raising concerns about the **effectiveness of no-log policies** advertised by VPN companies.
* 💻 Ultimately, the internet's complexity and the realities of censorship challenge users to navigate a landscape where **privacy and freedom of expression are continuously at risk**.

I want to create a private network with Google servers. I need to buy a cable, go to Incheon Airport, and plug it into the Google server to establish the private network. This is the current situation in Bangladesh. Is there a war? No, but there are massive protests happening, especially among young people in their 20s and 30s. They are currently in the midst of demonstrations. It seems to be an issue related to the civil servant quota system. They created a quota that allows the children of national heroes to pass the civil service exams, and it has caused a huge uproar. People believe that this is something that should be compromised. However, in Bangladesh, the national heroes are mostly from the established political elite, those who are already well-off. In our country, national heroes are often associated with war, while here, the country gained independence peacefully. Consequently, they are distributing civil service positions to already privileged individuals.

People are in an uproar, saying that this is corruption. What happens when young people get upset? How do those in their 20s and 30s communicate? They communicate through the internet, using platforms like Facebook and Instagram. So, what kind of judgments will the government make? They start making these kinds of decisions. This place is where internet monitoring happens. Suddenly, the network connection in Bangladesh drops significantly. What is going on? In Bangladesh, social media is causing issues, just like in our country, where YouTubers are a problem. Since there is chaos on platforms like YouTube and social media, they decide that internet censorship is necessary, so they temporarily block the internet. How do people respond? Being adaptable creatures, they find ways to overcome it. The usage of VPNs has increased by 51%. They can't completely cut off access, so they start to censor illegal sites and similar content.

As soon as we started, the usage of VPNs has increased more than 50 times in just a few months. This is the current situation. When we think of censorship, another country comes to mind, and it’s impossible not to think of it. Here, the level of censorship is different. If you resemble something, even Winnie the Pooh becomes a target of censorship. This evokes certain associations. Therefore, when we look at VPN usage by country, China is the overwhelming leader. Has anyone here traveled to China? It is said that a VPN is essential when traveling to China. You can't access YouTube, and KakaoTalk is also blocked. So, people traveling to China must install a VPN before they go. From July, they are reportedly strengthening mobile phone inspections. Imagine you’re just traveling, and suddenly the police approach you and say, “Give me your phone.” If you open it and KakaoTalk is on, you could be taken away. This applies to travelers as well. In this situation, there was a messenger that shouted All-taku.

In a world where censorship is severe, we are advocating for the protection of anonymity for such individuals. As it stands, Telegram has significantly lost its image in our country, and now, when someone mentions using Telegram, they are often misunderstood as being suspicious. This is the reality in our country, right? So, I wanted to shed that image of Telegram, but now it feels like a situation where I’m becoming a crusader for justice. In this context, I wonder if I can join my friend over there. The Tor browser wasn’t originally developed for malicious purposes, right? However, it has unfortunately gained a reputation as a dark web tool, and it has been stigmatized as a den for criminals. I don’t know if its branding can ever be cleansed, but currently, what’s drawing attention are VPNs, Telegram, and the Tor browser. Of course, the situation may be similar in Korea as well.

You may have seen the site quite a bit, right? When you're browsing the internet, this site appears, and it’s a page that you absolutely should not visit. This is not just DNS censorship; it has been strengthened through HTTPS. Because of this, I wonder if VPN companies are expecting an increase in demand in Korea. Recently, there have been a lot of VPN advertisements. When I checked, about 90% of the ads on YouTube were for VPNs. The reason is that the best way to avoid censorship right now is through a VPN. The original purpose of a VPN has been somewhat distorted. It was created to securely transmit data over a network. A Virtual Private Network is essentially a private network. For data to be transmitted securely, it needs to be sent over a private connection, which is very safe because no one can see it. However, in reality, it is not possible to connect to a truly private network. You can’t establish a private connection with Google servers.

When you say you want to create a network, you might think about buying cables, plugging them into your computer, and then taking those cables to Incheon Airport. From there, you would board a plane, arrive at Google, and plug those cables into the Google server to establish a private network. But that doesn’t make sense, right? So, let’s implement this concept virtually, as if these two points are directly connected. The technology that allows us to create a virtual private network is called VPN. Originally, a VPN works like this: you have your computer and you want to connect to a server via VPN. You set up the VPN on both ends to establish the connection. However, nowadays, what does VPN mean? When you use a VPN to access Google, that connection isn’t made in the way you might think. There is absolutely no direct connection between your computer and Google. Instead, there is a VPN server that your computer connects to.

This allows the device to exchange data with Google or other places, so the protection is only effective here. That's right. You could say that when you use Wi-Fi at a café, you connect to Google and exchange data. The device here knows that you are accessing Google, right? But when you use a VPN, it doesn't directly say that you are going to Google. Instead, it connects to the VPN, and you tell the VPN that you want to access Google. The VPN then manages the data exchange. Consequently, the nearby Wi-Fi devices or computers cannot see where you are going. Naturally, they cannot view your data either because this is a virtual private network. The structure is such that, through encryption, it appears as if you are on a private network, even though it's not one in reality.

There is a technology called VPN that makes it seem like no one can see this data. Currently, VPNs are often used for various purposes, such as routing data through a VPN server to access different locations. This means they also have proxy features, which is why some people use VPNs. This can be referred to as IP masking, or in a negative sense, IP laundering. When using public Wi-Fi, if you feel uneasy about using the café's Wi-Fi, using a VPN is one option. The reason people use VPNs on sites like TryHackMe is that there is a network you can connect to via VPN. Accessing the internet on that network can be challenging. 

So, the conclusion is that the internet is complicated. Do VPN companies not know the original user's IP? VPN companies do know. It's funny because, as mentioned, the data is routed through a VPN server. If someone uses a VPN to post malicious comments, the site can still track it. If they trace the IP, they can find out which site it came from.

A VPN shows my IP address, not yours. You might not understand that, but ironically, it is on the VPN server. Ultimately, what we want is to not leave any records, which is why there is a no-log policy. You would want that, right? In fact, I wonder if there are places that actually enforce no-logs. VPN companies advertise this a lot, saying, We never keep any records. If the FBI, NSA, or international police ask for logs, we will never provide them. How dare they ask for logs? We are not that kind of company.

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Protests and Internet Censorship in Bangladesh

Massive protests are occurring in Bangladesh, driven by a controversial civil servant quota system favoring the children of national heroes.

The protests are mainly led by young people in their 20s and 30s, using social media to organize and communicate.

In response to the unrest, the government has implemented internet censorship and temporarily blocked access, leading to a 51% increase in VPN usage as people find ways to bypass the restrictions.

VPN usage has increased over 50 times in a few months, with China being the leading country for VPN usage due to strict censorship.

Travelers to China are advised to install a VPN before their trip, as popular apps like YouTube and KakaoTalk are blocked, and mobile phone inspections are being strengthened.

The stigma around using Telegram and the Tor browser has grown, with both tools now associated with criminal activity, while the need for anonymity and protection from censorship remains crucial.

VPNs are seeing increased demand in Korea due to DNS censorship and HTTPS enforcement.

The original purpose of VPNs was to securely transmit data over a private network, but this concept has become distorted.

Nowadays, VPNs work by connecting your computer to a server, rather than establishing a direct connection with services like Google.

VPNs provide a layer of privacy by routing data through a server, making it difficult for nearby devices to see the user's online activity.

They offer IP masking and proxy features, which is why people use them for various purposes, including accessing different locations and using public Wi-Fi.

However, VPN companies still have access to the original user's IP, making it possible to trace malicious activities back to the source.

VPNs show the user's IP address, but the real IP is on the VPN server.

No-log policies are advertised by VPN companies, promising not to keep any records.

These companies claim they would never provide logs to authorities like the FBI or NSA.