Technologies

The Steam Autumn Sale 2025 Is Here: Rake In the Sweet Savings

The Steam Autumn Sale is here, and prices are falling. Check out the best deals and discounts you can snag right now.

I first discovered Steam in university — until then, I’d never had my own computer, so the allure of PC gaming proved irresistible. What started as a humble dozen games, like Doom 3 and Half-Life, blossomed into a collection of over 220 titles, thanks mainly to Steam sales (please don’t ask how many items from my library I’ve actually played). Steam is one of the most popular PC gaming platforms, selling more than 718 million total games in 2024, according to Statista. The digital PC gaming service boasts a massive catalog of over 89,000 titles.

Steam runs four major seasonal sales — winter, spring, summer and fall — plus smaller sales called «fests» in between. The next major event — the Steam Autumn Sale — has landed, running Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, 2025. There are tons of discounts on everything from blockbuster titles to indie games and older gems, so you can rake in the savings. Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks on one of the latest big-name AAA games, want to add more indie games to your digital shelf or need to fill up your Steam Deck hard drive, here’s everything you need to know about when Steam sales are and how to save money.

When are the next Steam sales?

There are four main Steam seasonal sales. The next big Steam Sale — the Steam Autumn Sale — runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, 2025. There are also smaller sales, called Fests. Typically, the Steam Winter and Summer Sales last about two weeks, whereas the Spring and Autumn Sales last for one week, give or take.

Steam Summer Sale (June 26 to July 10, 2025)
Steam Autumn Sale (Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, 2025)
Steam Winter Sale (Dec. 18, 2025 to Jan. 5, 2026)
Steam Spring Sale (was March 13 to 20, 2025)

How often are Steam sales?

Steam Sales are frequent, with at least one per month. While the big seasonal sales are quarterly — winter, fall, spring and summer — there are dozens of smaller sales or fests. Typically, these Steam discount days revolve around a particular theme, with lowered prices on titles within a certain genre, like fighting games or roleplaying games.

Here are the best Steam Autumn Sale deals and discounts

The deals are piling up, with sweet savings on everything from recent releases to oldie but goodie games. Here are the discounted titles we’d recommend picking up:

Here’s how I save money with Steam sales (and you can too)

Take advantage of your wish list

Adding games to your Steam wish list simplifies figuring out what to snag — or skip — during a sale. You can sort your wish list by discount, so finding the biggest savings is a breeze.

Add a game to your wish list whenever you see one you like the look of but don’t immediately want to play. Then, during a Steam sale, pop in, sort by discount and see which prices have plummeted the most. Or, you can arrange your wish list in order of your most wanted titles, then choose what to buy that way during one of the upcoming Steam sales.

Use SteamDB to find the largest discounts

SteamDB is an excellent source for uncovering deals. Its many filters let you sort attributes, including discount percentage, rating, price or reviews, making it a helpful Steam sales tracker. You can even narrow down a list based on platform — Windows, Linux or MacOS — and features like controller support. I’ve even used SteamDB to nab free games, like a no-cost copy of Tell Me Why.

I typically hop into SteamDB during a Steam sale to look for hefty discounts on highly rated games. It’s worth checking SteamDB even outside of seasonal sales and fests if you want to expand your Steam collection.

Shop for older titles, indie games, DLC and complete catalogs

Often, newer AAA games get heavy markdowns — but because of their usually high price tags, even the discounted cost isn’t cheap. However, you can find wallet-friendly older games, indies or downloadable content. For instance, I picked up a copy of The Sum of All Fears for just $2, which wasn’t even during a Steam sale.

Complete publisher catalogs or franchise bundles save you a ton of money. I’ve seen the Activision Collection bundle — typically $900 — for as low as $355. While over $350 might not be pocket change, the per-title breakdown is pretty cost-effective when you’re getting 53 games. Similarly, I’ve seen the Call of Duty Franchise bundle for $443, a steep drop from its usual $1,010.

You can often get DLC packs pretty cheap during Steam sales, which provide more in-game content to enjoy. On the other hand, these comprehensive bundles might lead you to overspend if you’re not actually planning on playing, say, every single Call of Duty game under the sun.

Check your other game libraries to make sure you’re not double-dipping

Although Steam is incredibly popular, it’s not the only source for digital game purchases. Check your other libraries on GOG, Epic, EA Origin and Xbox Game Pass, for instance, to ensure you’re not double-dipping. While you could buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam and GOG, you probably don’t need two copies.

Cross-shop deals on other platforms

With many Steam alternatives, including GOG, Epic, Origin and Fanatical, you can find sweet discounts from several outlets. While you can — and should — check those individual storefronts, IsThereAnyDeal is a comprehensive source for savings. So you might notice a great deal on Skyrim from Steam, but it might be available at an even lower price at Epic at the same time.

Set a budget

Adding a bunch of games to your cart can be tempting, especially with prices slashed by 75% or more. However, lots of cheap games can still add up. I typically set a budget — whether it’s monetary or a limit on the number of games — and stick to that.

Don’t feel compelled to buy anything

The best way to save money is by not spending it in the first place. I know, it’s tempting to load up your cart with $5 or $10 games, which is nearly as gratifying as an in-game loot grab. But only buy what you’ll play now or soon after purchasing. While there are rare instances where games get delisted on Steam, chances are if you pass up on a sweet deal, it’ll still be available during the next Steam sale.

A complete list of Steam sale dates

Outside of Steam’s seasonal sales, there are different genre-themed sales or fests. Steam fests revolve around a genre or game theme. Here are all of the Steam fests for 2025, along with examples of Steam games on sale you might find:

Next Fest: October 2025 (Oct. 13-20, 2025): Highlights of upcoming games — demos, livestreams and developer chats, oh my!
Scream Fest 2025 (Oct. 27 to Nov. 3, 2025): Just in time for spooky season, stock up on horror games, such as Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic, Lies of P, Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil Village.
Animal Fest (Nov. 10-17, 2025): Go wild and grab cheap titles like Wolf Quest, Nightingale Downs and Goat Simulator.
Sports Fest (Dec. 8-15, 2025): Score goals and great deals with discounts on games like 2K25, FC25 and WWE 2K25.
Real-Time Strategy Fest (was Jan. 20-27, 2025): Reap the rewards of discounted RTS strategy games — you might find Hearts of Iron IV, Manor Lords or DOTA 2 on sale.
Idler Fest (was Feb. 3-10, 2025): If you want to play a video game that lets you progress without too much demanding effort, an idler is a great choice. Examples of what you could find on the cheap include Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realm, Firestone and Rusty’s Retirement.
Couch Co-Op Fest (was Feb. 10-17, 2025): Couch co-op games let you play with friends in the same room. You may see games like It Takes Two, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection for wallet-friendly prices.
Steam Next Fest February Edition (was Feb. 24 to March 10, 2025): Demos, developer chats and livestreams featuring up-and-coming games.
Visual Novel Fest (was March 3-10, 2025): Stock up your Steam library on graphic novel and anime-adjacent games without breaking the bank. You might see Persona 3 Reload, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy or Vampire Therapist at attractively low costs.
City Builder & Colony Sim Fest (was March 24-31, 2025): Build your own virtual worlds, and cop titles like Anno 1800, Ages of Empires IV or RimWorld on sale.
Sokoban Fest (was April 21-28, 2025): Pick up some puzzle games like Isles of Sea and Sky or Schein.
Wargames Fest (was April 28 to May 5, 2025): Get your fight on with slashed prices on titles that may include Six Days in Fallujah, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Europa Universalis IV.
Creature Collector Fest (was May 12-19, 2025): If you like Pokémon, you’ll love these discounts on games like Palworld, Digimon World: Next Order and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
Zombies vs. Vampires Fest (was May 26 to June 2, 2025): Unreal deals on the undead and living dead — titles you may see on sale include Resident Evil 4, The House of the Dead Remake and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines.
Steam Next Fest June Edition (was June 9-16, 2025): Demos, livestreams and developer chats showcasing upcoming games.
Fishing Fest (was June 16-23, 2025): No fishing license required for these great games. You could see prices sink for games like Bassmaster Fishing, Fishing Planet, Bass Pro Shops Fishing Sim World or Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos.
Automation Fest (was July 14-21, 2025): Automate all the things! Look for discounts on titles like Hydroneer, Railgrade and Voidtrain.
Racing Fest (was July 28 to Aug. 4, 2025): Be fast and furious adding games like Forza Horizon 5, Snow Runner and Sonic Racing CrossWorlds to your cart.
4X Fest (was Aug. 11-18, 2025): The Steam 4X Fest celebrates games that feature all four Xs: Expand, Exploit, Exterminate and Explore. Look for deals on player versus environment (PvE) and player versus player (PvP) games, like Duke: Awakening and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X.
Third Person Shooter Fest (was Aug. 25 to Sept. 1, 2025): Reload your Steam library with third-person shooter titles, like Helldivers II, Star Wars Outlaws or Red Dead Redemption II.
Political Sim Fest (was Sept. 8-15, 2025): Bring out your inner politician with deals on games like Tropico 6 and Victoria 3.

When is the next Steam Next Fest?

There’s an upcoming Steam Next Fest running from Oct. 13 to 20, 2025. The Steam Next Fest highlights upcoming game releases, featuring developer chats, free playable game demos and livestreams. Some of the most played demos from the June 2025 Steam Next Fest included Vindictus: Defying Fate, Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive and Ferocious. For more, check out the 10 best Steam Next Fest games you need to wishlist.

Here’s what I bought on Steam recently

So what did I stock up on at a recent Steam Sale? Mass Effect Legendary Edition — three games for $2 apiece was too good a deal to skip. I also snagged Middle-earth: Shadow of War. While I picked up Shadow of Mordor at a previous Steam Sale, I’ve not yet added its sequel to my metaphorical shelf. As a big cinephile and fan of movie tie-in games (like Peter Jackson’s King Kong), I was excited to get Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine alongside Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb for $4 total.

Although I own it in EA Origin, I snagged a $1 copy of Alice: Madness Returns, because at that price, it was too juicy a discount to pass up. I grabbed Heavy Rain and Red Dead Redemption during the Steam Spring Sale. I also completed my collection of the Sherlock Holmes games by snagging Sherlock Holmes Chapter One and Sherlock Holmes The Awakened. I snagged Life is Strange: Double Exposure during the 2025 Steam Summer Sale.

During the Steam Autumn Sale 2025, I picked up Lost Records: Bloom & Rage along with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

How to get the most out of Steam once you’ve ravaged your wallet during a Steam sale

Once you’ve drained your bank account dry on games you’ll likely never play, there’s a lot more you can do with Steam, like sharing your library with friends or family, using Remote Play Together and adding non-Steam games. I suggest installing the Steam Link app on your phone, tablet or streaming device for playing your games away from your PC. You can also game on the go with the Steam Deck or another handheld gaming console like the Asus ROG Ally. Or, you can share your Steam library with up to five family members using Steam Families.

Technologies

Is It Worth Upgrading to the iPhone 17? Specs, Price, and Feature Comparison

Thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 17? See how it stacks up against older models.

The shiny new iPhone 17 is here, which means your perfectly good older iPhone is probably starting to look a little ancient. It’s that time of year again: the annual debate over whether you should finally pull the trigger on an upgrade.

So, is the iPhone 17 worth it? The new model starts at $829, but here’s the kicker: Apple finally did away with the measly 128GB base storage. The new entry-level model now starts at a much more reasonable 256GB, which is a long-overdue bump that might just make the upgrade a no-brainer.

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Several noteworthy updates to the iPhone 17 make it feel like a tempting choice, even over the pricier iPhone 17 Pro models. At long last, Apple has extended a 1-120Hz display across its entire lineup, so you can have smoother scrolling and an always-on display without spending upwards of $1,100 on a Pro model. An anti-reflective coating and higher 3,000-nit peak brightness make the screen slightly easier to see outdoors. And camera upgrades help to level up photos and selfies.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 compares to older iPhones, ranging from last year’s iPhone 16 to 2020’s iPhone 12.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

Appearance-wise, the iPhone 17 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16. But beneath the surface, there are some key differences.

The display goes from a meager 60Hz on the iPhone 16 to 120Hz on the iPhone 17 (at long last). That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time and your notifications without waking the screen and enjoy smoother scrolling. A new anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare, especially in the bright outdoor conditions.

The iPhone 17 has a larger 6.3-inch display, versus the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. That can make viewing content slightly more immersive, though it won’t be a hugely noticeable difference. And a new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers three times better scratch resistance, according to Apple, so you can worry a little less about etching into your phone’s screen (but maybe still get a screen protector to be safe).

The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, but the iPhone 17 bumps the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. The front-facing camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels (on the iPhone 16) to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. Both phones have a Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera and snapping photos.

A new Center Stage feature can automatically adjust selfie photos from portrait orientation to landscape to ensure everyone is in the shot, so you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore. Dual Capture lets you simultaneously record on your front and back cameras. These upgrades are specifically catered to the latest iPhone lineup, so that they won’t be coming to older models like the iPhone 16, even with an iOS 26 update.

Battery life is a little longer on the iPhone 17. Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 8 hours more of video playback than the iPhone 16. This change aligns with improvements CNET noticed in our battery tests. In a 3-hour streaming test, for example, the iPhone 17’s battery dropped from 100% to 89%, while the iPhone 16 hit 86%. It’s an incremental update, but even a little more battery life is a welcome change. The iPhone 17 also supports up to 40-watt charging, which is a boost over the 25 watts you get with the iPhone 16, helping you top off your battery a little faster.

The bottom line: While the updates to the iPhone 17 help it stand out as an all-around solid device, the changes over last year’s iPhone 16 are incremental enough that there’s not much reason to upgrade — unless you’re really excited about that smoother display and faster charging. But for most people, subtle differences mean you should probably just hold onto your iPhone 16.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 6.1-inch display. The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17 has slimmer bezels to expand that real estate a bit, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide camera can lead to slightly sharper shots.

The baseline iPhone 15 doesn’t have an Action button that you can customize to launch various apps and functions, and instead has the more traditional ring/silent switch. The iPhone 17 has an Action button and a Camera Control button.

Both phones have a Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the display for showing alerts and Live Activities, such as the time your DoorDash order is arriving, flight updates and what song is currently playing.

With each generation, Apple touts longer battery life, so you can expect to get a couple more hours of video playback with the iPhone 17 than you would with the 15.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the iPhone 15 and 17 is that the iPhone 15 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence; those AI features only arrived on that year’s Pro models. If you upgrade to the iPhone 17, you’ll have access to writing and image editing tools, as well as newer features like Live Translation for calls and messages.

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 16, there aren’t many drastic differences between the iPhone 15 and 17, though upgrading will notably grant you access to Apple Intelligence. But the other hardware and software-related updates are relatively minimal, so you’re probably good keeping your iPhone 15 for at least another year.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 was the last Apple phone with a Lightning port and that’s one of most significant differences between it and the iPhone 17, which has a USB-C port. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 means you won’t have to rely on an outdated and limited-use charging cable anymore, and can instead use one that works with most of your other devices.

The baseline iPhone 14 also doesn’t have a Dynamic Island cutout in the display, as that feature launched with just the Pro models that year. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will let you quickly tap into activities like your rideshare trip or flight information.

The iPhone 14 has a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide-angle camera on the back, while the iPhone 17 bumps that to 48 megapixels across the board. The iPhone 17 also increases the front-facing camera’s resolution from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels, while adding a new Center Stage selfie feature to automatically adjust between portrait and landscape images without you having to rotate your phone.

But the two phones also some key similarities, like having eSIM and satellite connectivity on board.

The bottom line: The iPhone 14 has the most noticeable differences with the iPhone 17. Upgrading could offer some fresh features like an Action button and, at last, a USB-C port, as well as Dynamic Island and an upgraded camera. But if you want to save some money and keep your current phone, you won’t be missing out on anything too drastic.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has a similar A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, and shares the same dual 12-megapixel camera system. But unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 doesn’t have crash detection or satellite connectivity, or camera features like Action mode for more stable videos.

At this point, your iPhone 13 may be showing its age. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will give you access to newer features like Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, USB-C charging and the Camera Control and Action buttons. You might also notice faster speeds by switching to the iPhone 17, now that it’s been a few years since the iPhone 13 came out.

The bottom line: It may be time to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you have an iPhone 13. It’s possible your phone is starting to show its age, and switching to Apple’s latest baseline will get you a longer-lasting battery, an upgraded camera, AI features and a handful of new hardware and software capabilities.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 12

Like the next couple of iPhones after it, the iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, as well as a 6.1-inch display. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will get you a slightly more immersive 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels, along with a 48-megapixel dual camera system.

The iPhone 12 lacks features like crash detection, satellite connectivity, Dynamic Island and USB-C charging. It also doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features for writing, photo editing, language translation and more.

It’s possible your iPhone 12 has become sluggish and your battery isn’t holding up like it used to. Taking age out of the equation, at launch, the iPhone 12 boasted up to 17 hours of video playback, while Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours. So there’s likely to be a noticeable difference between how long each phone can hold up.

The bottom line: Swapping your iPhone 12 for the iPhone 17 could be a smart move. There have been noticeable changes over the last several years, from the addition of the Action and Camera Control buttons to the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The swap to USB-C and expanded battery capacity can also make the newest iPhone more tempting; you won’t have to cling to your now-outdated Lightning cable. And you’ll likely notice faster speeds and higher performance across the board when switching from a 5-year-old device to the latest generation.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Older iPhones

	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone 16	Apple iPhone 15	Apple iPhone 14	Apple iPhone 13	Apple iPhone 12
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density	460ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.65 mm	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	170 g (6 oz.)	171g (6.02 oz)	172 g (6.07 oz)	6.14 oz; 174g	5.78oz; 164g
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 18	iOS 17	iOS 16	iOS 15	iOS 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K at 60 fps	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A18	A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple Bionic 14
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None (Face ID)	None	None	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playback	No	No
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback	Undisclosed; Apple lists 15 hours of video playback
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C (USB 2.0)	Lightning	No (Face ID)	No (FaceID)
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None	Lightning	Lightning
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.	Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	No	No
US price starts at	$829 (256GB)	$799 (128GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)

Technologies

The Future of Sustainable Energy May Float in the Ocean

Technologies

Are VPNs Under Attack? An Anti-Censorship Group Speaks Out

One anti-censorship and surveillance group is taking a bold stance and advocating for politicians to «Leave VPNs alone.»

«Leave VPNs alone.» That’s the plea from anti-online censorship and surveillance group Fight for the Future, which designated Sept. 25 as a VPN Day of Action to press lawmakers not to ban virtual private networks. A week later, there’s still an opportunity to get involved and raise awareness.

The group of activists, artists, engineers and technologists is asking people to sign an open letter encouraging politicians to preserve the existence of VPNs and «defend privacy and to access knowledge and information online.» Virtual private networks encrypt internet connections and can hide your physical location.

Joining the action on Thursday was the VPN Trust Initiative — comprised of NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN — and the VPN Guild, which includes Amnezia VPN.

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The open letter refers to recent «age-verification» laws propelling legislative moves to ban or restrict VPN usage. Such measures would lead to increased online surveillance and censorship, which «has a huge chilling effect on our freedoms, particularly the freedoms of traditionally marginalized people,» the letter notes.

Fight for the Future’s purpose

Lia Holland, Fight for the Future’s campaigns and communication director, said VPNs are vital for «people living under authoritarian regimes» to avoid censorship and surveillance, and have become an essential tool in exercising basic human rights.

Half of all US states have passed age-verification laws requiring internet users to prove their age with government-issued IDs, credit card checks and other methods. The laws have spurred consumers to sign up for VPNs to avoid giving out sensitive information, with one recent VPN sign-up spike in the UK.

Read more: Welcome to the Era of Online Age Verification. Are You Ready to Identify Yourself?

Michigan is considering a bill banning adult content online and VPNs. If it becomes law, Michigan would be the first US state to ban VPNs. Many countries, including China, India and Iran, already ban or heavily restrict VPNs.

«Amid a moral panic, ignorant ‘save-the-children’ politicians are getting very close to kicking the hornet’s nest of millions of people who know how important VPNs are,» Holland said.

Could a VPN ban happen?

Banning VPNs would be «difficult,» according to attorney Mario Trujillo of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international digital rights group.

Trujillo told CNET that VPNs are best for routing your network connection through a different network. «They can be used to help avoid censorship, but they are also used by employees in every sector to connect to their company’s network,» he said. «That is a practical reality that would make any ban difficult.»

Trujillo added that the US lags behind the rest of the world in privacy regulation, and that lawmakers should focus more on privacy than VPN bans.

Read more: Our Top VPNs — It’s a Tight Race | Why You Need a VPN

Fight for the Future identifies local lawmakers and provides templates for contacting them. This information is on the same page as the open letter.