Amman, Jordan — Proton VPN has reported a 250% surge in signups from Jordan following a sudden and unexplained nationwide outage of Discord, the popular communication and gaming platform.
The surge began on October 6, 2025, and peaked two days later as Jordanian users scrambled to regain access. Proton VPN Free — a Swiss-based, privacy-focused service — saw new registrations more than double the daily average until October 13, coinciding with widespread reports of Discord being inaccessible across the country.
Although the Jordanian government has issued no official statement, speculation continues to grow that the blackout may have been a state-imposed block, similar to restrictions previously seen in Russia and Turkey. Discord, widely used by gamers, creators, and student communities, has also faced scrutiny in several countries for its encrypted VoIP and messaging features.
Proton VPN said the trend mirrors patterns seen in other regions where internet censorship has intensified. The service previously recorded a 35,000% spike in Afghanistan and an 8,000% rise in Nepal following similar social media bans.
Experts warn, however, that while VPNs offer a secure workaround, users should avoid unverified free services that may log data or expose personal information to authorities.
By encrypting internet traffic and masking users’ locations, VPNs allow Jordanians to bypass censorship and access blocked platforms safely. Proton VPN, which operates under Switzerland’s strong privacy laws, remains one of the few free VPNs offering unlimited bandwidth and no-log guarantees, recently confirmed through an independent audit.
