VPN usage faces legal scrutiny in China and Taiwan

In China, Hong Kong artist Huang Rio has raised concerns regarding the legality of using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). After assisting a friend who was detained in Shenzhen for using a VPN, Huang argued that such tools do not constitute the illegal establishment of private communication channels, as they utilize existing national physical infrastructure. Legal experts, including lawyer Pan Hexian, have echoed this sentiment, distinguishing between the illegal construction of physical hardware and the use of encrypted virtual tunnels for internet access.

Simultaneously, in Taiwan, authorities have cracked down on election-related gambling. The Nantou District Prosecutors Office identified individuals using Nord VPN to access the decentralized prediction platform Polymarket to bet on local mayoral and county magistrate elections. One tech engineer was detained after using a VPN to mask his location while placing bets using USDC stablecoins. Prosecutors have moved to seize the platform's domain and IP addresses in the region to prevent further gambling on democratic processes.