When you ask someone why they think that, VPN If usage is on the rise in the UK, it’s likely due to the Online Safety Act. This legal change requires internet users to upload their ID and verify their age before accessing adult content, which many people are understandably uncomfortable with. But interest in VPNs actually started growing a little earlier.
many people did You’ll need to get a VPN to get around these restrictions, but independent research by CyberNews proves that the growth in VPN usage in the UK has remained stable over the past five years, increasing by 24.08% in 2024 alone. The country currently ranks 8th in global VPN adoption rankings based on Google Play and Apple App Store downloads. In the first half of 2025, there were 10.7 million downloads of VPN apps in the UK, but it’s not clear from the data whether people are using the best VPNs or random free options.
Since this study is primarily based on mobile downloads, there are two things to consider. Firstly, this is not a comprehensive look at the UK VPN industry as there are many people using VPNs on other devices. Second, that data includes many of the dangerous free VPNs I want to warn you about, and they are not real VPNs, but wolves in VPN clothing, so this number only reflects people who are interested in using VPNs, not people who use legitimate VPNs.
Over the past few months, we’ve been watching these “free” VPNs secretly capture your browsing data and hide malware. Our advice is always the same. Avoid free VPNs and use a quality VPN from a trusted provider, such as: NordVPN, Proton VPN, surf shark, cyber ghostor ExpressVPN Instead.
CyberNews determined that the overall increase in VPN adoption around the world has continued since 2021, with overwhelming VPN usage seen in regions with “state-level internet restrictions.” The UK has an average adoption rate of 21% over the past five years, while the United Arab Emirates comes out on top with an impressive average adoption rate of 65.78%. Of course, this coincides with the coronavirus pandemic, and the increased number of people working from home may also be a factor.
If you need help choosing a VPN, you might be interested to know that our recommended VPN partner is NordVPN. We recommend checking their services first. A fast and reliable service that strives to protect customer data.
