Albania blocks access to TikTok – VPN sees 1200 percent increase in usage to access social network

The Albanian government has decided to block access to TikTok for a period of one year, starting yesterday, due to inappropriate content shared by users on this platform.

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As previously reported, this decision will remain in effect unless TikTok improves its recommendation algorithm and content moderation, according to Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

However, for Geek Room, TikTok stated that it has taken steps to improve, hiring Albanian-speaking moderators to better understand the published content.

Albania has today ordered ISPs to block #TikTok-un. Use of #ProtonVPN-it has driven a 1,200% increase over the baseline and this number is growing as Albanians continue to seek access to an open and free internet.

— Proton VPN (@ProtonVPN) March 13, 2025

On the other hand, immediately after the blocking of TikTok, another phenomenon was noticed: the massive use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).

ProtonVPN has reported a 1200 percent increase in VPN usage in Albania, and this number continues to grow, as citizens still seek access to TikTok despite restrictions.

Read too Major operators in Albania block access to TikTok, government decision begins to be implemented

This decision has led even those who were previously unfamiliar with technology to learn alternative ways to bypass the block, using a VPN for the first time.

Also, more and more videos are appearing on social networks explaining how to install and use a VPN to access TikTok.

How does VPN work?

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a term you may not have heard of, but it is becoming more common in recent years.

A VPN is a tool that allows you to access the internet securely, wherever you are. A VPN works by creating a secure “tunnel” between your device and your VPN service and protects you in two main ways:

By hiding your IP address, protecting your identity and location details.

By hiding the traffic between you and your VPN service, so that no one on your local network can decipher or alter it.

In the past, VPNs were primarily used by corporations to allow secure remote access to their internal services and proprietary data. Today, VPNs can be used by anyone who wants to protect their internet connection, especially when over porous networks, such as public WiFi, but they are even useful for a home network.

A VPN will protect the traffic you send between you and the VPN service, whether through your browser, apps, or other services. To set up a VPN, you'll need to create an account with a VPN service and install VPN software on your computer or phone. When enabled, a VPN will take care of the traffic from all the apps and software running on your device, so you can browse and communicate freely, over a secure private network connection.

Typically, a VPN service offers a number of connection channels in different global locations, allowing you to use an IP address from a different location than your actual one. This way, the country you are connecting to sees the VPN's IP, not your actual IP address, as the source of your traffic. Mozilla VPN routes your traffic through a secure server and lets you choose a location from over 30 countries. /Telegraph/