- Out of 196 countries, 30 have banned VPNs In countries with authoritarian laws, VPNs are banned from online access. Authorities ban VPNs to have complete control over online practices of their citizens. They censor websites that promote opposing views for various reasons, such as to maintain national security, to impose social values, and to keep political stability in the country. North Korea, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Syria and Russia are among the 30 countries where VPNs are banned.