VPN Subscriptions On the Rise

Following Expected Net Neutrality Repeal

confidential and proprietary Edison Software. 2018 bizdev@edison.tech

 VPN subscriptions grew 2x on Google Play following FCC
vote to repeal net neutrality

On April 23, parts of the Federal potentially circumvent the restrictions

Communications Commission’s (FCC)
repeal of net neutrality went into effect.
Implications of the repeal could include
Internet Service Providers (ISPs), (i.e.
Verizon, AT&T, Comcast), creating legal ‘fast
lanes’ and ‘slow lanes’ for the websites of
their choice, or blocking certain websites
they don’t like or agree with, effectively
giving ISPs control over what content we
can view. This challenge to the integrity of
the World Wide Web has created ripples
from the state level to the individual, as the
nation grapples with how to retain internet
autonomy and privacy post-net neutrality.
While states have introduced new legislation
to maintain regulatory rigor, some industry
experts suggest that individuals could
of ISPs by adopting tools such as Virtual
Private Networks (VPNs)¹. When a user
connects to a VPN, their Internet traffic
gets routed through an alternative tunnel,
so their ISP is unable to determine which
websites the person is trying to access -
and therefore, can’t control the user’s speed
based on the site or content one is trying to
access.
Edison Trends examined anonymized and
aggregated VPN subscriptions to determine
whether Net Neutrality repeal efforts may
have influenced the adoption of virtual
private networks across the nation.

¹ A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that is constructed using public wires — usually the Internet — to connect
remote users to a company’s private, internal network. A VPN secures the private network, using encryption and other se-
curity mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted.

confidential and proprietary Edison Software. 2018 bizdev@edison.tech

Figures 1a-1b. Has VPN adoption increased following Net
Neutrality repeal events?
VPN paid subscriptions on Google Play more 50% from the previous week. New VPN
than doubled in the two weeks (Dec 18- subscriptions peaked the week of April 1st,
Jan 1) following the FCC’s December 14th two weeks after news broke and snowballed
vote to repeal net neutrality. The February regarding Facebook’s data leak of millions of
22nd publication of the FCC’s new rules consumers information taken by Cambridge
correlated with a similar rise of new paid Analytica.
VPN subscriptions, which increased by over

Figure 1a: Data shows the estimated relative number of new paid subscriptions signed up per
week across all brands of VPN products on Google Play between August 2017 and March 2018,
based on the Edison Trends dataset.

confidential and proprietary Edison Software. 2018 bizdev@edison.tech

Figures 1a-1b. Has VPN adoption increased following Net
Neutrality repeal events?
Downloads of VPN services on Amazon App week the FCC unveiled its plan to repeal
Store more than doubled in the week after net neutrality in November, and peaked in
the FCC’s August 16th deadline for public the two weeks following the official vote on
commentary on the net neutrality repeal December 14th.
proposal. VPN downloads rose again the

Figure 1b: Data shows the estimated relative number of new downloads per week across all
brands of VPN products on Amazon AppStore between August 2017 and March 2018, based on
the Edison Trends dataset.

confidential and proprietary Edison Software. 2018 bizdev@edison.tech

Figure 2a-2b. Which VPN services saw the most adoption
before and after net neutrality repeal events occurred?
Analysis of the top five VPN brands among
Android users (Google Play), NordVPN
subscriptions grew their share the most
from August 2017 (9%) to March 2018
(32%). Conversely, Avast VPN lost the most
market share, decreasing from 35% in
August to 20% in March. Betternet was the
least popular of the top five (11%) among
new paid VPN subscriptions in March on
Google Play. Norton grabbed a larger share
of new subscriptions among Google Play
(Android) shoppers (19% of top 5 brands)
than it did among App Store (Apple)
shoppers (8%) in March 2018.

Figure 2a: Data shows the estimated relative number of new subscriptions across top five most
purchased brands of VPN products on Google Play Store in the month of March 2018, based on
the Edison Trends dataset.

confidential and proprietary Edison Software. 2018 bizdev@edison.tech

Figure 2a-2b. Which VPN services saw the most adoption
before and after net neutrality repeal events occurred?
These five providers had the most popular Proxy Master is hanging on last in the top
VPN apps among Apple users (App Store). five for new paid VPN subscriptions in March
Within the top five, Betternet’s share of paid on the App Store (7%). Hotspot Shield gar-
VPN subscriptions grew from August 2017 nered more new subscriptions among App
(15%) to March 2018 (23%). Conversely, Store (Apple) shoppers (52%) than it did
Hotspot Shield VPN lost the most market among Google Play (Android) shoppers
share among the top five, decreasing from (16%) in March 2018.
60% in August to 52% in March (though it
still retained its lead in garnering the most
new paid subscriptions).

Figure 2b: Data shows the estimated relative number of new subscriptions across top five most
purchased brands of VPN products on Apple App Store in the month of March 2018, based on
the Edison Trends dataset.

The data shown is based on a sample of anonymized and aggregated e-receipts from more than 2.9 million users in the
United States. To learn more about what Edison Trends can do for your business contact us at bizdev@edison.tech.
Follow us on Twitter @EdisonTrends.