Im a VPN expert these are the 3 things I want the industry to adopt in 2026

Date:
Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Description:
The new year brings fresh opportunities for improvements to an industry under increasing scrutiny

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The VPN industry is going to face intense scrutiny in 2026. As governments introduce new laws and censors develop increasingly sophisticated
surveillance and censorship capabilities, its vital that providers continue
to push their products to the next level.

Ive spent this year hands-on with all kinds of VPNs, and several areas for development that stand out. Levelling up against continuous censorship and anti-VPN measures, optimizing for new users, and improving transparency are all key points for improvement.

But why? The censorship problem

Several VPNs improved their anti-censorship capabilities throughout 2025,
most notably NordVPN. That said, factors such as the Great Firewall of China and Russias evolving censorship system remain continuously changing dilemmas to solve.

Each VPN provider tackles these issues in their own way. Extensive details on these measures are tricky to find, however, since providers must avoid being thwarted by the authorities theyre trying to bypass.

The goal for each remains the same: to make a secure VPN connection appear identical to normal internet traffic.

Weve been testing VPNs in regions such as China throughout 2025. Unsurprisingly, our top-ranked providers are among the most consistent, but even they dont guarantee a connection every time. Download speeds are often inconsistent and latencies are high and thats if you get a connection at
all.

Given the growing number of instances of social media blackouts and
censorship measures, improving the stability of these tools is paramount.

In 2025 Chinas Great Firewall in a Box approach was discovered. Given that, its likely that Chinas sophisticated approach to internet censorship will spread to yet more countries in the coming 12 months. Without improved obfuscated protocols, these approaches could leave more people scrambling to find ways to connect to the free internet. VPNs for the masses

VPNs arent just used in extreme instances, however. Alongside government-mandated censorship, the global spread of age verification
measures has led to more people engaging with VPNs than ever.

This means theres a need for resources to educate new users properly. The
goal shouldnt just be to provide a quick connection, but to help users
develop an understanding of a VPN's potential and limitations.

Fundamentally, the product needs to work without the customer being educated

Martin Budac, Head of Privacy Products at Gen Digital

Some VPNs already take great steps to do this. Proton VPN has a wealth of tooltips and explanations built into its apps, and NordVPN offers a huge bank of knowledge articles, but these methods arent adopted everywhere.

Norton VPN is one provider looking to take this simplicity to the next level. Speaking to TechRadar, Martin Budac, Gen Digitals Head of Privacy Products, explained that usability is one of the biggest problems in the industry.

Fundamentally, the product needs to work without the customer being educated, Budac said.

Nortons approach employs the same family-friendly style you see in its antivirus product: plenty of explanations, very little clutter throughout the app design, and no design flaws that could lead to accidentally turning on unwanted features. Creating clarity

However, privacy is about more than just what the user can see on their
screen it's also about what happens to their data behind the scenes.

Every year, VPN companies receive legal requests for user data that they either reject or are unable to comply with. These requests often go
unreported unless the VPN provider publishes transparency reports.

These reports give users clear information outlining how a provider protects their privacy against legal requests. While no-logs audits provide a similar sense of security, full-length audits are rarely consumer-friendly, as they often include dense technical language.

Another step providers can take is to make parts of their service open
source. If a provider makes either its apps or its protocols open source, users with the required knowledge can check the code to ensure everything is as it appears.

Providers such as Proton VPN and PIA already offer open-source apps. Proprietary protocols are rarely made open-source, although ExpressVPNs Lightway protocol is a notable exception.

Theres rarely a need to be concerned about open-source protocols. If a provider is using standard WireGuard or OpenVPN, both protocols are already open source; its only once providers make unique additions to these protocols that they "close" the code.

Its particularly important that a providers apps be open source due to
privacy concerns regarding data collection. By doing so, a provider allows
its users to confirm for themselves that theres nothing amiss and that their data is being handled correctly.

The VPN industry faces several widespread challenges in 2026, so fixing these problems is a possibility rather than a certainty for now. However, over
time, integrating these improvements should ensure the VPN industry remains both honest and accessible as more people look to these tools to support
their digital lives.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses.
For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone using a VPN service to break the law or conduct illegal activities. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/im-a-vpn-expert-these-are-the-3-thi ngs-i-want-the-industry-to-adopt-in-2026


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