It is no secret that the content libraries of major streaming platforms vary from country to country. Sometimes this is due to territorial exclusivity agreements, while in other cases certain content simply does not align with the specifics of a local market. One common way to access such content is through the use of a VPN — a service that makes a user’s virtual location appear different from their physical one. Unsurprisingly, Danish authorities are not pleased with this practice.
The Danish government wants to step up its fight against online piracy by focusing on VPN services that allow users to bypass national blocks and access foreign — and often illegal — sources of sports broadcasts and films. Critics of the proposal emphasize, however, that VPNs are widely used for fully legitimate purposes, such as protecting privacy, securing remote work, and safeguarding connections on public Wi-Fi networks.
Experts point out that enforcing such a ban would be technically difficult and could lead to excessive surveillance of internet traffic. In their view, attempting to distinguish between “permitted” and “prohibited” VPN usage would require deep monitoring of user activity, which would conflict with European privacy standards and the principles of the GDPR.
Denmark’s proposal is particularly controversial within the EU because strict bans or heavy restrictions on VPNs already exist in several countries that, to put it mildly, are not known for respecting human rights and civil liberties. In China, the use of unauthorized VPNs is illegal, and access to foreign internet services is tightly controlled by a state censorship system. Similar restrictions are in place in authoritarian Iran, where authorities regularly block VPN services and penalize their use during periods of social unrest, citing “national security” concerns.
According to Jesper Lund, chairman of the IT Political Association of Denmark, even Russia has not formally banned VPNs outright, although providers are required to comply with the state’s content-blocking system. Services that refuse to do so are blocked, and using them can result in administrative penalties.
Digital rights experts warn that while Denmark is not proposing measures as extreme as those seen in China or Iran, any restriction on VPNs in a democratic state governed by the rule of law risks moving it closer to the practices of authoritarian regimes that interfere with citizens’ lives at every level. The fight against online piracy, they argue, should focus on the sources of illegal content rather than on tools that play a crucial role in protecting the privacy of millions of internet users.