Defend VPNs Toolkit 2026

URGENT: On Friday, September 25th we're calling on global lawmakers to defend VPNs, a crucial anti-surveillance tool that people from Britain to Mississippi rely on to access knowledge and community without government surveillance or censorship. 

This is the second annual Day of Action—we’re mobilizing again because threats against VPNs have only grown. Read more about what we’re facing at DefendVPNs.com.

Our ask:

VPN Companies: Activate your users, ask them to sign on at DefendVPNs.com!

Creators, organizers, and organizations: Activate your followers, make your own posts or share ours!

Everybody: Spread the word about the day of action, then on Sept 25 make some noise using the tools at DefendVPNs.com

[ DOWNLOAD GRAPHICS HERE ]

VPN Providers:
Here are some examples of messaging from providers surrounding the 2025 Day of Action:

• https://windscribe.com/blog/vpn-day-of-action/

• https://www.ipvanish.com/blog/vpn-day-of-action/

• https://vpnguild.org/vpn-guild-statement-in-support-of-the-global-defend-vpns-day-of-action

• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vpn-trust-initiative_defend-vpns-from-government-bans-activity-7376978839257677824-IAB_

Any way you can share DefendVPNs.com with users is appreciated, including a blog post or socials, but we’ve found a direct email or pop-up to be most effective for mobilizing action.

Creators, Organizers, Organizations:

• Make a video or a post talking about why you think people should take action.

  • Use your own voice.

  • Relating your own audience and experience to why VPNs are important (free expression/access to resources online) is the easiest and best way to go about this.

  • Share about the ways using the internet for creative expression, community organizing, and knowledge sharing has impacted your life. You don’t need to know all of the legalese, your audience cares for the reasons *you* do.

  • Tag us and feel free to request to co-post with Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) on Instagram!

• Circulate this toolkit to other creators, comrades and organizations you know. Mutuals, discord servers, all are great avenues to get more people on board.

• Put DefendVPNs.com in your link in bio and direct your audience to sign on. This link has an overview of why defending VPN’s is necessary for online safety and access.

Posts from Us

A quick and easy way to multiply our efforts is to re-share these posts!

Instagram:

⭐️ https://www.instagram.com/p/DdZ9jQQxlSs/

⭐️ https://www.instagram.com/p/DdkUj96DeoE/

⭐️ https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddj3G0yxWJH/

Bluesky:

⭐️ https://bsky.app/profile/fightforthefuture.org/post/3mw2gwf523k2n

TikTok:
⭐️ https://www.tiktok.com/@fightfortheftr/video/7686637707501505806

⭐️ https://www.tiktok.com/@fightfortheftr/video/7688069765323083022

Sample Social Media Posts

• Bluesky/Mastodon/Threads:

  • Post sample 1: 🚨 Online ID check laws and social media bans are making censorship and online surveillance the norm for millions worldwide. VPNs protect us— that’s why lawmakers want to ban them. Tell them to keep their hands off our VPNs: https://www.defendvpns.com/

  • Post sample 2:
    We deserve to access knowledge, news, and community without:

    🚫 Censorship laws blocking us

    🪪 Surveillance of everything we do online linked to our ID

    👁️ Fear of punishment for what we read

    Join the Defend VPNs Day of Action!

• Instagram/Tiktok

  • Post sample 1: 🚨 Online ID check laws and social media bans are making censorship and online surveillance the norm for millions worldwide. VPNs protect us— that’s why lawmakers want to ban them. Tell them to keep their hands off our VPNs at DefendVPNs.com- link in bio 👆

  • Post sample 2: People the world over use VPNs to protect themselves. As many countries enact draconian online safety laws forcing us to upload our IDs or face scans to use the Internet, they’re turning to VPN bans to force compliance. Reject VPN bans, protect online anonymity: DefendVPNs.com- link in bio 👆

  • Post sample 3:

    We deserve to access knowledge, news, and community without:

    🚫 Censorship laws blocking us

    🪪 Surveillance of everything we do online linked to our ID

    👁️ Fear of punishment for what we read

    Join the Defend VPNs Day of Action!

Sample Talking Points/Scripts:

• I am a creator and I’m concerned about how online ID checks can have an impact on my ability to access information and vital resources online. Having access to VPNs allows me the freedom to get the information I need without being punished for it.

• Much of my work overlaps with ( immigrant support, political organizing, mutual aid)- spaces with marginalized people that depend on tools like VPN’s to get information that mainstream media selectively censors already.

• Recent “Age Verification” laws have accelerated the discussion of banning or restricting VPN usage, in order to force all Internet users to be surveilled. History has shown us this will have unintended consequences and certainly won’t make the internet a safer place.

• People the world over depend on VPN’s to access information online, including journalists. Without VPNs vast amounts of information would be censored, making it more difficult for journalists to do accurate and timely reporting.

Resources (for background + talking points):

• Wired: Age Verification Sends VPN Use Soaring

• TechDirt: Lawmakers Want To Ban VPNs—And They Have No Idea What They’re Doing

• TechRadar: ‘A waste of money' — Digital rights group slams Utah's new 'impossible by design' VPN restrictions under controversial age verification law

• Tom’s Guide: VPN ban one step closer in Wisconsin as age verification bill goes to Senate vote

• Reclaim the Net: Brazil Law Makes VPN Use an Aggravating Factor in Crimes as the First Lady Pushes For a Discord Ban

• Wired: Using a VPN May Subject You to NSA Spying

• Independent: The government has delivered its verdict on the proposed UK VPN ban

• TechRadar: Australia’s age verification rules: Is a VPN ban on the horizon?

• Tech Policy Press: Tracking Efforts To Restrict Or Ban Teens from Social Media Across the Globe

Day of Action 2025 Coverage:

• TechRadar: "We want to make some noise" - Advocates are stepping in to defend VPNs, and they need your help

• Dataconomy: Fight for the Future launches campaign to protect VPN access

• CNET: Are VPNs Under Attack? An Anti-Censorship Group Speaks Out

• Tom’s Guide: VPN Day of Action: Providers and activists call on politicians to “leave VPNs alone”

If you have any questions, suggestions, or just want to chat about ideas, please reach out to team@fightforthefuture.org.