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Everyone does a lot of research before subscribing to a VPN. This includes finding out which VPN is privacy-oriented, has a lot of servers, a huge list of features as well as a good speed. There are tons of guides out there to help you make the choice. We have a few of those so be sure to check them out. So coming back to VPNs, what happens after you subscribe to one. You would be overwhelmed by the number of countries whose servers are available. We are pretty sure that this would have you wondering which country to connect to. Sure there is the auto mode that connects you to the best server for you. But having a little extra option and manuka control never hurts. So in today’s article we will look at a few countries that are the best servers and should be the ones you generally connect to. But before that, we will take a look at a few reasons why you might require to choose a particular server and another one.
Streaming preferences:Â This isn’t the primary reason most people use a VPN. However that is starting to change a bit now with more and more people trying to access geo-blocked content. So if that is your concern, there are a few countries that would best suit your interests. We will discuss them in a bit.
Piracy:Â This is a more common concern among VPN users. They are very sensitive when it comes to their privacy and they would want to choose the best location they could. For them privacy can’t be compromised. If that is the case, then there are a few countries whose privacy laws make them the ideal countries to connect to. We will also discuss these counties in a bit.
Now that we have filtered out both the possible concerns, let us check out the best countries for each.
Best VPN Countries for Streaming
What makes a country ideal for streaming content? The answer would be a larger Netflix Library, more number of streaming services, and sports content. So based on that these are the best countries for streaming purposes. You can gauge the difference yourself when you consider that the US version of Netflix offers roughly 1,000 more shows than the UK one!
1. United States
This shouldn’t be a surprise that the United States is a streamer’s paradise. It has both the largest Netflix as well as Amazon Prime Videos with a total of 5932 and 18246 titles respectively. It is also the only country where Hulu is available for streaming. In fact, until recently, the US was among the few countries where Disney Plus was available. Along with that, there’s a high probability that most new streaming services would launch in the US as early as possible. So all these make the United States the best country for streaming purposes.
2. United Kingdom
Trailing just behind the United States in terms of available titles on Netflix and Prime Video is the United Kingdom. It has a total of 5702 and 11066 titles respectively. This isn’t much behind the United States. In fact the United Kingdom Prime Video subscription has a better value for money (cost per title). So the United Kingdom is the second-best country for streaming.
3. Canada
The third country on this list is Canada. As expected, it has the third-highest number of titles in Netflix and Prime Video. It has a total of 5692 and 6130 titles respectively. One should also expect Canada to be right behind the Us and UK to have access to new streaming services and hence it is third in our list of the best countries to connect you VPN to.
*The listed number of titles were based on the titles available at the time of writing this article. It might and is bound to change anytime.
So now that we have looked at the best countries for streaming purposes, let us look at the same for privacy.
Best VPN Countries for Privacy
How good a country is in regards to privacy concerns is based on one factor: The privacy laws of that country. Since privacy is the primary concern of most users, these countries should have strong privacy laws. They shouldn’t have their government interfering in any scenario. If that’s the case the government might coerce them into giving the users’ data under the guise of national security. So the countries featured in this list all have strict privacy laws and are free of government interference.
1. Switzerland
Data Privacy Laws: Federal Data Protection Act (DPA)
Freedom House Assessment Score: 96/100
5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member: No.
Switzerland-Based VPNs: ProtonVPN, VyprVPN, Perfect Privacy VPN
For a few years now, Switzerland has been considered as the safest country in terms of privacy. It has been leading the list of top countries with great privacy laws. The primary reason for this is that it isn’t a part of the European Union which is bad news for privacy enthusiasts. This is because as part of this union the EU countries share data with each other. To make things even better, it is also not a part of the Five Eyes alliance. So in a scenario where other countries ask the Swiss authorities to share some sensitive data with them, they don’t have to comply with them.
Another great thing about Switzerland is its strong economy, which is one of the strongest in the world. Their banking system is highly secretive and is the backbone of their financial institutions. The best example of this can be the Swiss banks, which are known for safeguarding their customers’ information. Further the Swiss officials have announced that they are totally okay with unauthorized file sharing and that they don’t consider it as a problem. They also mentioned that they allow downloading copyrighted content as long as it is for personal use. This coupled with the strong privacy laws makes it one of the safest countries to connect your VPN to.
2. Iceland
Data Privacy Laws(Strict): EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Freedom of Speech/Censorship: 95/100
5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member: No.
Iceland-Based VPNs: N/A
The country just behind Switzerland in terms of being the safest country in the digital sphere is Iceland. However it has a few laws that might seem a bit questionable to most users, but there is nothing to worry about. This is on the back of the fact that the country’s authorities have been very uncooperative when it came to sharing any data or joining any of the alliances be it 5, 9, and 14 Eyes Alliances.
The county also introduced an Internet law which is similar to the recently revoked Net Neutrality Law in the USA. Named the Equal Access Act, this 2015 law made the data service providers follow the guidelines and make sure that every citizen has access to unrestricted and unbiased internet access. Another law that aids the citizens’ privacy is their Data Protection Act which acts as a guardian of the users’ data. The only hiccup though is the region laws that they have in place which makes it mandatory for the data providers to preserve the users’ records for at least up to six months. The silver lining is that it will be used only in matters of public safety and criminal cases. So VPN users need not worry.
3. Malaysia
Data Privacy Laws: Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
Freedom of Speech/Censorship: (52/100)
5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member: No.
Malaysia-Based VPNs: Hide.Me VPN
Malaysia wouldn’t have made this list, if it weren’t for its Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) which is very strict.
The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) was introduced in 2010 and has already been revised several times since then. The laws state several points that serve as a key reference for protecting the users’ privacy and prevent their data from being misused. One key point to notice is that this law also applies to those services that are using the country’s types of equipment (servers) and prevent them from exploiting the users’ data. VPNs also fall under these services and hence the country can be considered safe for VPN users.
4. Romania
Data Privacy Laws: General Data Protection Regulation.
Freedom of Speech/Censorship: 83/100
5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member: No.
Romania-Based VPNs: CyberGhost VPN, ibVPN, VPN.AC
Most people who have done their research would argue as to why Romania was included in this list even after it being a part of the European Union. Well the reason is pretty straightforward. Even though Romania is a part of the European Union that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is in compliance with all of the Union’s laws. One such law is the Data Retention Directive passed by the EU in 2006. In 2009, the Constitutional Court of Romania revoked the law on the grounds that they were violating the rights to privacy of the Romanian citizens. This was followed by the enacting of a new set of similar laws being introduced, which were again nulled by the Constitutional Court of Romania in 2014.
This makes Romania the only country in the EU to have had its Data Retention Laws repealed by the highest courts.
The result of all these was that copyright infringements have been widespread throughout the country. However this isn’t a high priority for the Romanian officials as they consider it to be a harmless and victimless crime. So in light of all these, using a VPN server located in the country can be considered to be safe.
5. Spain
Data Privacy Laws: General Data Protection Regulation.
Freedom of Speech/Censorship: 92/100
5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member: No
Spain-Based VPNs: N/A.
Similar to Malaysia, Spain is also a part of the European Union and has their own data protection laws in addition to the EU-wide GDPR. Again following Malaysia’s footsteps, these laws are applicable for both local and foreign services using the country’s types of equipment. Another key factor is that Spain has its own national data protection agency. This agency has one purpose and that is to handle the complaints regarding personal data protection as well as other similar roles.
To make things even better, Spain has also relaxed its rules on breaking copyright laws. According to their updated guidelines, they will give users who download copyrighted content for their personal use. However, those who seek to profit from piracy will be considered as criminals and will be given a suitable punishment. For a VPN user, all these things would be considered positive news and hence it deserves the fifth place in our list of best countries to connect your VPN to.
This marks an end to our article and we hope you now know which country to connect your VPN to based on your use cases.
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