Parliamentary research center: Only 19% of Internet users in Iran do not use VPNs

The findings were published in the report “Assessing Public Opinion on Government Digital Services and Internet Policies.”

The survey, conducted via telephone in December 2024, included responses from 1,100 participants.

Out of 914 respondents who answered the question “What type of VPN do you currently use?”, 49.4% reported using free VPNs, while 30.3% said they use paid VPN services. Only 18.9% stated that they do not use any VPN.

Another section of the survey asked participants, “To what extent do you think President Pezeshkian’s government will be able to lift internet filtering and restrictions?”

Responses were mixed: 24.8% said “not at all,” 26.7% said “to a small extent,” while 20.5% believed the government would be able to lift restrictions “to a large extent.”

Meanwhile, 11.2% had “high expectations” for change, and 16.8% either did not respond or chose “I don’t know.”

This survey was conducted before the recent unblocking of Google Play and WhatsApp, which may have influenced public perception on the issue.