The use of VPNs or leased circuits is not expressly prohibited by any law of Ethiopia. However, in practice during times of conflict or civil unrest in the past (and currently in Tigray region), the government has openly blocked some social media sites or completely shut down the telecom service. In this regard, broad powers stated in the 1995 FDRE Constitution and other laws have been used to limit the use of social media or internet in times of emergency