Several Chinese universities have stepped up measures against VPN use by students in October 2026, according to a report by The Epoch Times on 28 October 2026. Institutions threaten disciplinary action, monitor internet connections and require students to sign pledges.
Examples cited by the report: Central South University in Hunan ordered all undergraduate and graduate students to attend security meetings on 23 October and to sign a notice; Wanbei Health Vocational College warned on 19 October of administrative penalties or criminal prosecution; Northwest University said on 13 October it would "detect and restrict connections that circumvent the firewall". Harbin Engineering University reported in September that 20 students had received warnings for VPN use. The report's notices come from screenshots posted by a citizen-journalist account on X, which The Epoch Times did not independently verify.
The campaign coincides with the Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (26 to 29 October 2026). Analysts quoted by the outlet link it to concerns about political security.
For VPN users in China, the report shows that the pressure is extending from the state to institutions such as universities.
Source: The Epoch Times, 28 Oct 2026.