Atlas VPN says installations of the cyber tool surged by more than six-fold on Thursday, when Beijing revealed its proposal. Installations continued to rise by three-fold the next day, adding up to a 150-time increase in just seven days by Sunday. NordVPN, another provider, also reported a sudden jump in inquiries about its services late last week. Google searches for the keyword “VPN” has skyrocketed over the past few days, according to Google Trends.  

New users appear to be driven by concerns about the potential increase in online surveillance and restrictions under the proposed law. A VPN allows users to mask the origin of their internet traffic, making it harder for criminals or governments to eavesdrop on their browsing activity. But it isn’t foolproof. Your VPN provider itself still has full access to everything you do online, and some services say they do route personal data to servers in China. Plus, if you’ve already provided personal information to any app or site, it’ll know who you are and what you’re doing in there whenever you log in.