Police take down VPN service (this time with a good reason)

European authorities have cracked down on a VPN that has been used for various criminal activities.

The operation, led by investigators in France and the Netherlands with help from Europol and Eurojust, has dismantled First VPN, a service that has been heavily promoted within Russia as a way of evading law enforcement. Criminals used it to conceal their identities and infrastructure while carrying out ransomware attacks, large-scale fraud, data theft, and other serious offences.

While First VPN’s fates seems well-deserved, there are concerns about wider attempts by governments and law enforcers to clamp down on users of VPN services. Various legislations have tried to implement new laws restricting access to the internet, in particular, those seeking to limit minors from accessing social media and other sites deemed inappropriate by authorities. Australia has already brought in such a law and the UK is looking to follow suit. However. VPNs providers have fought back, claiming that their offerings are a vital tool in the preservation of the internet as a free and open service — and in securing regular business activities for many enterprises.

Ina recent blog post Mozilla said, “Blunt interventions like mandatory age assurance and restricting access to tools like VPNs are not effective in improving the protection afforded to young people online, while undermining the fundamental rights of all users.”

Any restrictions against VPNs in the US are likely to fall foul of the First Amendment. Attempts by lawmakers to prohibit their use, such as the one proposed in Utah, are looking unlikely to succeed.

This article first appeared on Computerworld.