Most Free Countries: Best and Worst Countries for Internet Freedom
A free and open Internet is a human right, but it is hardly guaranteed throughout the world. Today, we’re taking a look at the freest countries in the world (best and worst countries for Internet freedom) plus how you can bypass censorship and unblock websites using a VPN.
Internet access has quickly become a necessary utility for people around the world. Being able to check e-mail or chat with friends is nice, but having the ability to see news reports or research different topics is what keeps us thriving on a daily basis. There’re also considerations like data access for cell phone calls, which is often one of the few methods remote towns can use for contacting the rest of the world.
Secure your privacy online with these VPNs:
- NordVPN – Best for Internet Freedom – NordVPN is a trusted industry giant, with all the best encryption protocols and our favorite server network.
- Surfshark – Advanced censorship-breaking technologies have never been easier to use or more affordable.
- ExpressVPN – You don’t have to sacrifice speed for privacy online with ExpressVPN.
- IPVanish – Hide your identity online and regain your freedom with this lightweight VPN.
- VyprVPN – The unique Chameleon protocol is all but impossible to trace, beating DPI with ease.
Not all internet access is created equal, unfortunately. A variety of factors shape how people go online in different countries, the largest of which is usually government and corporate-level interests. Depending on where you live net neutrality isn’t a guarantee. We’ve gathered some of the best and worst countries for internet freedom below so you know where you’re safe and where you need to take extra privacy precautions.
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Comparison of the Best and Worst Countries for Internet Freedom
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What Is a Free and Open Internet?
The internet started as a free and open system. “Free” in this context means unrestricted, while “open” hints at a lack of barriers or controls. Having both means everyone can log on, look at any website they want and download any file they want, all without third parties shaping their experience.
Lack of Censorship
Censorship is arguably the biggest threat to a free and open internet. Governments in dozens of countries actively interfere with what their citizens can search for online. In most places these blocks are simple filters for sexually explicit content, but in others it extends to all areas of life. China is the most extreme example of this. If you search for something the Chinese government doesn’t want you reading about, your access is blocked. Foreign news websites and social media are also restricted, forcing citizens to use domestic, government-approved services while cutting off contact to the outside world.
Another important factor in the open internet is data neutrality. It’s far too easy for internet service providers (ISPs) to look at packets of data and change the speed at which they travel depending on their destination. If the ISP has a deal with a video streaming company, for example, it can artificially slow down all video streaming traffic that goes to competing companies, thus encouraging people to use the service that paid for extra attention.
No Fast Lanes or Package Upgrades
Related to the above issues, ISPs shaping traffic based on packet inspection and corporate deals is an immediate loss of online freedom. All information should be processed at the same speed. You also shouldn’t be restricted from visiting certain sites based on arbitrary packages designed by ISPs to bring in more income.
Methods of Reducing Internet Freedom
The chief factor in how open a country’s internet connection is directly relates to governmental control. In general, the more hands-on the government is, the worse online freedoms will become. Below are a few of the more common methods deployed to control web access for citizens around the world.
Blocking and Filtering
An increasing number of governments have set up country-level filters that affect all internet connections entering and leaving their jurisdiction. These mechanisms are generally used to block illegal activities like gambling, under-age x-rated content, or blatant copyright infringement. Too often, though, governments extend their reach by targeting a wider range of information, restricting things like hot button political topics, social issues, or human rights. These efforts quickly dive into freedom of speech violations and turn an open internet connection into a closed system.
Attacking Activists
No matter the level of censorship in a country, there’s always a group of people who fight back. Progressive nations use this opportunity to discuss the issues at hand, but other, more authoritarian ones simply attack the dissidents to silence their voices. There’s no shortage of reports of journalists being arrested, religious activists getting silenced, or cyberattacks against vocal critics of the government in countries that practice these methods.
Surveillance
One of the most frightening methods of crippling internet freedom is to monitor web users and their online activity. This likely takes place as a covert operation in most developed nations, including across the EU and United States. Surveillance infringes upon basic online freedoms and can lead to quiet forms of censorship or even arrests.
LEARN MORE: Understanding the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes Surveillance Groups
Takedown Requests and Liability
If a government or other controlling entity doesn’t like a piece of content, they simply remove it from the internet. No need to block user access if the content doesn’t exist. They can also hold hosting companies liable for the content they display, creating a sort of self-censoring network that’s afraid to step on anyone’s toes for fear of legal recrimination.
Paid Commentators Manipulating Discussions
A less violent but more subversive way of manipulating online freedoms is to control discussions through paid commentators. If you’ve ever talked about a high profile topic on social networks, forums, or article comment sections, you may have encountered one of these paid entities (colloquially known as “trolls” and “shills”). Their only job is to quietly push the discussion in a certain direction, often simply by mirroring what a certain group says in an effort to artificially boost their numbers. This creates the false impression that “everybody thinks that way”, which has a snowball affect on public opinions.
Best Countries for Internet Freedom
The good news is not every government is interested in controlling their people. Open access to the internet has been guaranteed in a number of countries, often extending so far as to ban the above methods of subversive control.
1. Iceland
Iceland is consistently ranked as one of the best countries for internet freedom. Over 75% of homes in Iceland have direct access to fiber internet. Censorship is prohibited by the country’s constitution, as well, and the only type of web filtering carried out by local ISPs is blocking illegal explicit content, most of which is done on a per-case basis as reported by decency organizations.
2. Estonia
Estonia ranks just behind Iceland as one of the best countries for open internet access. The eastern European country has embraced the digital world with over 75% of its citizens connected to the ‘net. Censorship and freedom of expression are both protected by the country’s constitution. The government has a list of 800 sites blocked by local ISPs, most of which are linked to gambling sites expressly forbidden by the country’s laws.
3. Canada
Nearly 90% of Canada’s population is connected to the internet, with Canadians themselves spending more time online than anyone else in the world. Neutrality issues have been debated for years, most of which center around the throttling and preferential packet treatment employed by several of the provinces’ telecoms. In the wake of the net neutrality repeals in its neighbor to the south, the Canadian government reconfirmed its commitment to keeping an open internet for everyone.
RELATED READING: Are VPNs legal in Canada?
4. Australia
Wireless broadband is king in Australia, with reports that 96-99% of its citizens receive slow but functional service around the country, even in rural areas. These efforts are combined with laudable anti-censorship laws designed to prevent children from accessing illegal or adult content. The Australian government doesn’t provide explicit freedom of expression protection, but it has shown a general respect for the practice even in extreme situations.
5. United States
Even with the 2017 repeal of net neutrality laws, citizens in the U.S. enjoy a surprisingly open online experience. Most site blocking efforts are handled on a per-state level for example out of country remote gambling and illegal under-age explicit content frequently on the restricted list. Government level surveillance and censorship are both low in comparison to other areas, as well. All of this could change in the years to come, but as of 2017, the U.S. is in the top ten best countries for internet freedom.
Side note: Here’s how to get a US IP address from anywhere in the world.
Worst Countries for Internet Freedom
Free and open internet access isn’t a worldwide phenomenon. The countries below have been ranked as the most restrictive places for using the web. They engage in everything from censorship to site blocking, traffic throttling, search result shaping, surveillance, and more. If you live in or visit any of the countries below, use a VPN and be careful what you search for.
1. Ethiopia
A paltry 15% of the Ethiopian population has access to the internet, and those who do are under strict surveillance. Censorship is pervasive within the country’s borders, especially when it comes to political content that conflicts with the government’s ruling class. VoIP connections such as Skype are blocked, forcing locals to use in-country telecom software that’s both expensive and monitored by the government.
2. Cuba
Internet access in Cuba is sparse, unreliable, expensive, and intensely censored. It’s illegal for private homes to have their own connection, forcing citizens to use government-owned internet cafes to go online, which is restricted to simple e-mail services, not worldwide access. Cubans must give their name and address to use these connections, and if they type any words of political dissent, a pop-up appears blocking their access “for state security reasons”. Material intended for online publication must also be approved by the government and is heavily censored beforehand.
3. China
China is famous for its Great Firewall, the government-level censorship filter placed on the country’s internet that prevents anyone from searching for “objectionable” content. The government decides what is objectionable, and as you might have guessed, it’s largely related to anti-government sentiments, foreign news sites, social media publications, and other worldwide material. Over 18,000 websites are specifically blocked from the mainland, forcing citizens to use the few VPNs that still work in-country to access anything of value outside of China.
4. Syria
Before the Syrian civil war, internet access in Syria was generally moving towards more freedoms for the people. Afterwards, however, the Syrian Ministry of Communications locked down access with some of the strictest measures in the world, going so far as to shut down the internet entirely for periods of time. Censorship is one of the biggest blockades in Syria. Inside the country you aren’t allowed to access controversial political or social content without suffering harassment or arrests by the local government. VoIP is blocked entirely, and even internet cafes are required to keep records of their users’ browsing habits.
5. Iran
Iran was the second country in the Middle East to join the internet revolution. Nearly 62% of urban households have access to the web, but the connection they enjoy is arguably the most restrictive in the world. Speed throttling is common, as are bandwidth limitations. Any objectionable political content is strictly monitored or removed entirely, and everyone accessing the web is monitored through covert surveillance efforts. All data undergoes deep packet inspection, as well, which breaks through most encryption methods like VPNs.
SEE ALSO: Best VPNs for Iran
Regaining Internet Freedom with a VPN
No matter which country you live in, chances are you can use a VPN to restore some of your online access. VPNs help anonymize your connection and break through censorship barriers by using complex encryption algorithms that wrap each packet of data in unbreakable code. These make it difficult for government to see what you’re doing or where you’re located, allowing open access to the internet without fear of being watched or traced.
The downside is that many of the worst countries for internet freedom actively block VPNs from web access entirely. The list of forbidden services chances on a regular basis, too, which means you can never be sure which VPN is ok and which is blocked.
There are thousands of VPNs to choose from, some of which are better than others. To help you choose the best one, we’ve gathered a few of the most important criteria below. Put these high on your research list to ensure your VPN is the right one for the job.
- Jurisdiction – Where a VPN company is registered has an enormous affect on how private it truly is. Choose VPNs associated with the best internet freedom countries above for improved privacy.
- Kill switches and DNS leak protection – These two features help prevent accidental identity reveals.
- Logging policy – VPNs can keep traffic data, which can fall into the wrong hands. To ensure real privacy, always choose a VPN with a zero-logging policy.
- Server selection – The more servers a VPN has, the better your options for a non-local connection.
1. NordVPN
- Unblocks US Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon Prime and other streaming services
- Fast and stable connections
- Zero leaks: IP/DNS/WebRTC
- Strict zero logs policy on both traffic and metadata
- Live chat support is available.
- Some servers can be slow and unreliable
- They can take 30 days to process refunds.
NordVPN‘s network of servers is one of the largest in the world. The list is constantly changing as NordVPN expands, but at the time of writing it includes over 5,700 servers in 60 different countries, making it perfect for fast connections in just about any city. On the privacy side of things, NordVPN comes with 256-bit AES encryption, kill switch and DNS leak protection features, and a great zero-logging policy that ensures your data never falls into the wrong hands. You’ll also be able to take advantage of exclusive NordVPN features like double encryption and onion over VPN routing, both of which are amazing tools to keep your connection open and free.
Read our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
- Every server optimized for unblocking Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more
- Multi-hop connections readily available
- Unlimited simultaneous connections–Protect your whole family!
- Based in the British Virgin Islands, where there are no data retention laws
- Support staff manned by actual human beings 24/7.
- Growing network doesn’t have same coverage as more mature VPNs
- New-kid-on-the-block status may not instill same trust as larger providers.
Surfshark was built specifically with access to the free and open Internet in mind. Yes, you could reasonably say that about most VPNs, but this provider really delivers. For example, you could go to China, log onto Surfshark, activate their special NoBorders mode, and unblock social media and streaming sites as though you were in the US. It really is that simple in most cases!
But there’s plenty for power users, as well. Surfshark connects you to their server network via your choice of OpenVPN UDP or TCP, IKEv2, or the cutting-edge WireGuard protocol, using the unbreakable 256-AES-GCM cipher in all cases. Moreover, you can tailor each Wi-Fi connection you use with a specific VPN configuration–an unprecedented level of control.
Did we mention that their entire network (spanning 800+ nodes in 50 countries worldwide) is diskless, making data retention of your activities physically impossible? Moreover, Surfshark’s British Virgin Island jurisdiction enables them to truly make good on their promise of “no logging”.
3. ExpressVPN
- SPECIAL OFFER: 3 months free (49% off – link below)
- Super fast, reliable connection
- Secure encryption & VPN protocols
- Keeps no logs of personal data
- 24/7 Chat Support.
- Priced slightly higher.
Fast internet is one of ExpressVPN‘s main selling points, but the service also offers an incredible array of privacy features, too. You’ll stay nice and safe with 256-bit AES encryption, a zero-logging policy that covers traffic, DNS requests, and IP addresses, and have both an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection on every device. These features are available on the entire worldwide network (which spans an incredible 3,000 nodes in 94 countries), all accessible from friendly, custom-made software for both PC and mobile devices. Best of all, ExpressVPN is known to be one of the more reliable services for access in freedom-restricted places like China and Syria, making it a strong choice for preserving the open internet around the world.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
4. IPVanish
Need privacy but aren’t willing to sacrifice speed? IPVanish is the VPN for you! The service does great things for heavy video streamers and torrent fans, opening the door to anonymous connections that are fast and surprisingly reliable. With IPVanish you get access to a network of over 1,300 servers in 75 locations around the world, all secured with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a zero-logging policy on all traffic. Want to change things up by shuffling your non-local IP address? There’s a feature for that, and it makes it much harder for governments to track your activities, too!
Read our full IPVanish review.
5. VyprVPN
VyprVPN has some of the best privacy features of any VPN service, hands down. For starters, the company owns and operates its entire network of servers, giving you added privacy most competitors just can’t touch. Along with this is the unique Chameleon protocol that wraps packet metadata in an extra layer of encryption, defeating deep packet inspection to bypass censorship blocks. VyprVPN has an impressive server network, numbering 700+ nodes across more than 70 countries worldwide, offering thousands of IP addresses to spoof. With these features, along with VyprVPN’s standard 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, kill switch feature, and a zero-logging policy that covers traffic and DNS requests, you’re guaranteed to stay safe while surfing the open web.
Read our full VyprVPN review.
Conclusion
Each country’s stance on net neutrality is slightly different, and the laws are changing all the time. To make sure your internet stays as open and free as possible, join local fights for online freedoms, and keep a good VPN handy, just in case.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
The Europe censorship is as bad as in China, so stop your bias of judging those countries.
And your recommended VPN are all bad for privacy!
You are a fake news, please stop writing worthless things because it wastes our time.
i think russia and turkey aren’t far behind. neither is UAE. my friends live there and often use vpns like express, ivacy and whatnot to unblock basic sites. the recent skype ban in UAE is a prime example. and if you’ve been following that dailymotion scenario and now this vpn crackdown sort of thing there, it’s clear people there aren’t as free to browse as in nations like say, iceland.