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Dear Mozilla Team,

I'm writing to express my disappointment and concern about the recent restriction on Firefox's built-in VPN for users connecting from Iran.

People in Iran live under severe internet restrictions, widespread censorship, and limited access to independent information and online services. For us, VPNs are not simply a convenience or a way to change our virtual location. They are essential tools for accessing the open internet, communicating freely, and overcoming censorship.

That's precisely why I find it deeply disappointing that Mozilla's built-in VPN has become unavailable to users in Iran, displaying the message:

"VPN is unavailable. Local laws and restrictions limit where you can use VPN."

I understand that Mozilla may have legal and regulatory obligations to consider. However, I urge you to reconsider the impact of this decision on ordinary Iranian users.

People who are already deprived of basic internet freedoms should not face additional barriers from a company whose mission and values are built around an open, accessible, and free internet.

Mozilla has long stood for privacy, freedom, and an open web. I sincerely hope these principles will extend to Iranian users as well, rather than leaving them behind precisely when they need these tools the most.

Could you please clarify:

1. Why has Firefox's built-in VPN become unavailable in Iran? 2. Is this a permanent restriction or a temporary measure? 3. Is Mozilla actively considering any way to make this service accessible to Iranian users?

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking not to be excluded from tools that help people access the free and open internet.

I hope Mozilla will listen to the voices of its Iranian users and reconsider this decision.

Best regards, A Firefox user from Iran

I recently gained access to Firefox's built-in VPN feature on my Windows PC. The VPN button is now visible in my desktop Firefox browser, and I'm able to access and use the feature without any problems.

However, I cannot find the same VPN feature anywhere in Firefox on my Android phone.

Both devices are signed in to the same Firefox account, and Sync is enabled on both. I've also checked the browser settings on my Android device, but the VPN option does not appear to be available.

Is this expected behaviour? Is the built-in VPN currently exclusive to Firefox desktop, or is it supposed to be available on Android as well? If Android is supported, is there anything I need to do to enable it?

I'd appreciate some clarification on platform availability and whether this is a rollout limitation or an issue with my account or device.

Hi tHello Mozilla Support Team,

I am a user from Iran, and I have been using Firefox's built-in VPN (the 50 GB monthly VPN included with a Mozilla account).

Previously, I was able to use the built-in VPN directly with my Iranian internet connection, without needing any external VPN or proxy.

However, after connecting to an external VPN configuration while using Firefox, the built-in VPN stopped working independently.

Now, whenever I disconnect my external VPN and try to enable Firefox's built-in VPN, I receive the following error message:

"VPN is unavailable due to local laws and restrictions."

Interestingly, the built-in VPN works again whenever my external VPN is connected.

I have already tried restarting Firefox, testing a different internet connection (mobile hotspot), and checking my browser's connection settings. Unfortunately, none of these steps resolved the issue.

I would like to emphasize that I was previously able to use this feature from Iran without an external VPN connection.

Could you please investigate why my access has changed and let me know whether there is a way to restore the previous functionality?

I would really appreciate your help, as I rely on this service and would like to continue using it.

Thank you for your time and support.

Best regards

Dear Mozilla Team,

I am writing to you today not just as a user, but as a human being who feels completely trapped between oppressive government censorship and international restrictions.

For a long time, Mozilla’s free VPN was a small window of digital freedom for me, allowing me to bypass the severe and suffocating internet censorship imposed by our government in Iran. But recently, that window was suddenly shut. Overnight, this vital tool stopped working for me and thousands of others like me here.

It is deeply painful to realize that simply because of the geographical accident of where we were born, our entire lives are controlled, restricted, and penalized by governments and external barriers alike. Why must ordinary people suffer from both sides? We are only trying to access the open internet, communicate freely, and reclaim a basic human right.

Mozilla has always stood for a free, open, and accessible internet for everyone. I am urgently asking you from the bottom of my heart: Can Mozilla do something to help us? Is there any way for users in Iran to regain access to your VPN service and bypass these digital walls?

We need your help more than ever. Please don't leave us behind in the dark.

Sincerely,

Farhad mohammadaliha

A user from Iran

Hi there,

I have recently started using Firefox but the free VPN is not working on my account. When I click it, it says it's on, but I can confirm it's not actually doing anything. I've looked into other posts on this topic and tried all the remedies I can find to no avail. During this research I found that in my about:config, the browser.ipProtection.entitlementCache data reveals what I think is a flag to say my account is not "subscribed" to the VPN.

For the record, this is a shared home computer and the other person using it has their own Mozilla account and the VPN works perfectly on that account - so it's nothing to do with the installation; we're using the same software on the same PC on the same Windows account.

Is there something more I can do to get the VPN working on my account?

Thanks

Hello I have a problem with my Firefox VPN,( ALL OF ACCOUNTS) It shows an error and does not connect. I attach the error image. What is the problem? please check and answer.

Thanks a lot.

Hello,

I was using Mozilla VPN, and it worked perfectly for about two weeks. However, it suddenly stopped working, and now I get a message saying "VPN is unavailable".

It was working fin before, but I don't know what happened or why it stopped working.

Could you please help me fix this issue?

Thank you!

So, can somebody please explain to me why Firefox VPN is now unsupported in so many countries where people can only exercise their freedom of information by using a VPN?

Do local laws and restrictions apply to the people of these countries because of their governments' actions, while those same governments don't even need a VPN to access such information? Instead, they censor it to prevent their citizens from accessing it.

You claim to be sanctioning the "governments", but in reality, you are only sanctioning the "people" — the very people who are actually fighting against their governments' practices.

Firefox built-in VPN is unavailable on my connection and shows the message "Local laws and restrictions limit where you can use VPN." I am using an Iranian IP address. How can I enable the built-in VPN?

hello, i'd like to inform my disappointment from not being able to access to vpn solely because of my region, which we need VPN to do our basic activity in a daily basis, especially university students such as me who uses the firefox VPN to ressearch, study and fulfilling our projects.

due to war situations which has erratically caused sky rocketing inflations and to mention on strict sanctions, we're facing with sacrificing our needs for the sake of survival . it's really expensive to buy VPNs here, so i'd like a review on giving access to iranian users again

thank you for readding this.

• • Title: Firefox Built-in VPN suddenly unavailable – Local laws and restrictions error**

Hello,

I have been using Firefox's built-in VPN without any problems until yesterday. Suddenly, it stopped working and now displays this message:

"VPN: Local laws and restrictions limit where you can use this feature."

My system details and troubleshooting results:

- Firefox version: 159.0.1 - Operating system: Windows 10 - Mozilla account: Signed in - Remote improvements: Enabled - Enterprise policies: Inactive - No relevant VPN holdback study found in about:studies.

I am physically located in Tehran, Iran. However, my usual internet connection's public IP was identified as Frankfurt, Germany, by ipwho.is.

I also tested using my mobile phone hotspot, which was identified as Tehran, Iran. The same VPN restriction message appeared with both connections.

The built-in VPN was working until yesterday, so I would like to know whether my IP address or account has been incorrectly classified, or whether access to the service has recently changed.

Could you please investigate this issue and explain why the VPN suddenly became unavailable?

Thank you.