With 20 million users, "QuickConnect VPN" announces its exit from China!
The strictest internet censorship in mainland history: IDC directly disconnects, and VPN use is considered subversion of the regime.

China’s internet firewall (GFW) has undergone an epic evolution, and the VPN giants are falling! Once proud of their “always connectable” reputation and boasting over 20 million users, FastConnect VPN (LetsVPN) announced on April 28th that they had failed to break through the technical barriers, quietly exited the Chinese mainland market, and initiated refunds. Behind this is the most severe internet censorship campaign launched by China since April, where authorities not only cut off infrastructure “networks” but also deployed AI systems like “Tengu” to precisely cut off proxy traffic, and classified VPNs as “tools to subvert state power.” This increasingly high digital iron curtain is causing countless cross-border e-commerce, AI developers, and Web3 players to fall into serious internet disconnection panic.
(Background summary: Meituan quietly launched the new generation large model “LongCat-2.0-Preview”! Setting a record for China’s largest AI training, focused on AI Agents)
(Additional background: China bans Meta’s acquisition of Manus: the $2 billion deal ends, Singapore’s export model declared ineffective)

Table of Contents

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• Struggling for 20 days and giving up, FastConnect admits “powerless”
• Cutting cables + AI identification, the most severe blockade in history
• The digital iron curtain falls, what’s next for cross-border industries?

For Chinese netizens relying on overseas information to make a living, the last line of defense seems to be collapsing.

On April 28th, the well-known “FastConnect VPN (LetsVPN)” in China’s circumvention circle, claiming over 20 million users, issued a heartbreaking announcement: Officially announced the termination of operations in mainland China, closed mainland payment channels, and launched a refund mechanism for users who paid after April 8th.

Struggling for 20 days and giving up, FastConnect admits “powerless”

In the past, FastConnect VPN’s strongest selling point was its slogan “Always connectable.” However, in the face of this sudden internet shutdown, this badge was ultimately shattered.

FastConnect’s official statement described this move as a “difficult decision.” They reluctantly revealed that since mid-April, as China’s internet blockade continued to escalate, their service experienced widespread disruptions. The technical team had been trying to adjust and repair almost “hourly” over the past 20 days, but ultimately confirmed that the issues could not be effectively resolved, admitting that facing the current national-level technical blockade, they are “powerless.”

Cutting cables + AI identification, the most severe blockade in history

FastConnect’s downfall is not an isolated case but a tip of the iceberg in China’s recent “nationwide internet crackdown” campaign. According to multiple sources, since March 2026, this operation led by the Cyberspace Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, involving all three major telecom operators, has far surpassed previous efforts in both intensity and technical level:

• Direct infrastructure “cutting cables”: Authorities require data centers and IDC service providers to self-inspect and block all cross-border traffic (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). Once abnormal IPs are detected, they are physically disconnected or shut down. The gray area of renting official data center transit, often exploited by VPN providers, has been thoroughly eradicated.
• AI system “Tengu” for precise targeting: Previously, firewalls relied on protocol feature recognition, but now each province has deployed independent monitoring systems incorporating AI and behavioral recognition technologies (like “Tengu”). This makes traditional obfuscation techniques completely ineffective.
• Legal and political classification upgrade: According to insiders, top officials now regard VPNs as “tools to subvert state power,” aiming to block cognitive infiltration. The revised “Cybersecurity Law” (effective 2026) grants stricter penalties, with personal VPN use facing significantly increased fines and interviews.

The digital iron curtain falls, what’s next for cross-border industries?

The scope of this thunderous crackdown has long gone beyond political dissidents, severely damaging China’s large cross-border e-commerce, foreign trade, academic research, and AI developers and Web3 practitioners who rely heavily on GitHub and overseas exchanges.

Currently, industry consensus is that “100% stable circumvention tools” no longer exist. For enterprises with legitimate cross-border needs, authorities are forcing them to apply for officially monitored channels; individuals, besides quickly requesting refunds from tools like FastConnect that have become ineffective, are forced to turn to more costly and risky solutions like international eSIM cards or multiple mainstream VPNs for risk diversification. As this digital iron curtain thickens, China’s disconnection from the global internet is entering a suffocating new phase.