There are many dodgy laws and legislation that give the United Kingdom Government a lot of power when it comes to mining their citizens’ private data and information, allowing them to actively spy on emails, texts, and calls in real-time. They also can force companies to lower their security and implement backdoors to give the Government access to customer information. As a UK citizen, this scares me and I am a firm believer that the UK Government has way too much power when it comes to online security and privacy. A lot of this has resulted from the London terrorist attacks and the privacy invasion has been cloaked as a fight against terrorism. As we will see later in the article, some laws and policies give the UK Government power and it is important to limit this power with the best VPN for UK usage. What is the best vpn for the UK? When it comes to protecting yourself from the harsh laws in the UK, using a VPN is one of the best ways to claim back your online privacy. They allow you to cloak your IP and secure your connection with military encryptions. With the very strict copyright laws in the UK, it is essential that you use the best UK VPN for torrenting, as it could land you with 10 years in jail! To cover your tracks and safeguard your data, here are 5 of the best VPNs for UK usage.
1. NordVPN
When it comes to security and privacy, NordVPN cannot be beaten. They are one of my personal favorites when it comes to VPN services and they’re an excellent choice if you’re based in the UK, like me. NordVPN is situated outside of UK jurisdiction in Panama, so you will have nothing to worry about in terms of data retention laws. Also, NordVPN keeps zero logs and runs a very tight ship in this respect, making this service excellent for your internet privacy. They also have a very slick client and have a bundle of other features that improve your privacy, security, and anonymity on the web. These include their famous “double-hop” feature which gives you two encrypted connections and their TOR over VPN feature, which channels your connection through their servers and the TOR network. Moreover, to all of this, they also use OpenVPN protocols and 256-AES encryptions. With a 30-day money-back guarantee policy, you can try this service risk-free and escape from the harsh laws of the UK. The only issue I have with this service is their connection speeds but, hopefully, they will be improved upon in the future. Go to our full NordVPN review here.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another favorite of mine and is one of the best in the industry. They are a little expensive but they offer premium features that you can’t find with other casual services. They have incredibly strong protocols and encryptions to secure your network when you’re in the UK and have thousands of servers in 90+ locations around the world, allowing you to get away from the privacy laws of the UK. Also, they are based in the British Virgin Islands which removes them from UK jurisdiction. Although the Virgin Islands are owned by the UK, they do not follow the same laws, so there is no need to fret. ExpressVPN also holds no usage logs and has a range of software that allows you to secure your other devices, which is important considering the UK Government can spy on them as well. They use OpenVPN with 256-AES encryptions to secure your connection and have very fast connection speeds. As I said before, this is a premium service but it is well worth the extra dollar. With 24/7 support (that is excellent) and a 30-day money-back guarantee, there is no excuse to no try this VPN. Go to our full ExpressVPN review here.
3. Buffered VPN
Buffered is one of the community’s favorites and is known for its excellent speeds and unique features. Buffered is also great if you want to get away from the UK and their rules, as they use tough encryptions and are based Hungary – far away from the UK’s influence. Also, they have a large number of servers in their network which are situated in 42 server locations, including the UK. They don’t keep any usage logs and are an excellent choice if you’re looking for the best VPN for the UK. In terms of their features, Buffered uses OpenVPN as their primary protocol and utilizes 256-AES encryption to stop your ISP from seeing any data. They also have amazing speeds and a feature known as port detection. This allows you to get access to restricted Wi-Fi points without a password. It uses open ports (as the name suggests) and gives you access immediately. They also allow for P2P and have a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you try this VPN risk-free. I will say this though- it is a little pricey. Go to our full Buffered VPN review here.
4. IPVanish
IPVanish has been around for a long time and is a common VPN name that many people will recognize. They are, unfortunately, based in the US but this does not mean they are a good VPN for UK usage. IPVanish runs a very tight ship and has a ton of servers all around the world. They have servers in over 70 locations and keep absolutely no logs, which is a rarity in the VPN industry. They also allow for P2P, so the torrenters reading this will love using this service. In terms of their security, IPVanish uses OpenVPN as its main protocol and protects its users with 256-AES encryption. They also include a SmartDNS with every purchase and have a very effective client for managing your speeds and server locations. Their support and location are the only let-downs but, other than that, they’re a great VPN to use if you’re based in the UK. They also offer a 7-day money-back guarantee, so try this VPN for free today. Go to our full IPVanish VPN review here.
5. CyberGhost
CyberGhost seems to be appearing on our “best of” lists more often and for good reasons too. They are an excellent service who values your privacy and they offer some fantastic speeds unmatched by many other services. As a bonus, they are based in Romania who is very lenient on online privacy and is a country outside of the influence of the UK Government. CyberGhost also keeps no logs except for connection logs which are kept anonymous. They are only used for customer support and server issues. CyberGhost has plenty of servers around the world, including the UK. They also use OpenVPN and 256-AES encryptions securing their user’s connections from their ISP and Associated Governments. They provide lightning-fast connections and allow for P2P as well, so you can torrent away happily with this service. They are a little pricey when you lot at their monthly price but with a free-client and a 30-day money-back guarantee, this service is worth a try. Go to our full CyberGhost VPN review here.
The UK and Online Privacy
Now that we have identified the best VPNs for the UK, it is important to start understanding the reasons you need a VPN when you’re online in the UK. I use one, so you should as well, especially if you value your privacy (which is a human right let me add). The UK is a harsh country and has almost unlimited power when it comes to spyware and data retention. They are also trying to get access to ISP data and have been responsible for a lot of internet censoring. There is a range of laws and policies that affect the way we see things on the internet and we are constantly preyed about by the UK Government. Some of the most well-known laws that break UK citizen privacy include the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) and the Digital Economy Act. These two acts work together to make sure UK citizens are monitored and to censor content that doesn’t need to be censored! The IPA was the first act to demonstrate what the UK Government had been doing for the past few years. It essentially stated that the Government has the complete legal right to monitor phone calls, texts, and emails whenever they feel necessary. The bill formalized what was already happening and gave the Government the ability to monitor every conversation they wanted, which is a complete breach of privacy. The IPA was not the worse Act to be passed by the UK Government. The Digital Economy Act was just outrageous. It allowed the UK Government to censor certain websites and users had to confirm they are over 18 to use some sites. The Act also censored “non-conventional” sex acts that were 100% legal. They can also come in and censor any content that they feel inappropriate all for the “good of society”. The UK also holds one of the strictest laws when it comes to copyrights and P2P. They have the power to censor any content they feel infringes on copyright laws and ISPs can now issue letters to uses about the punishments of torrenting. These letters don’t have much effect but the punishments are harsh in the UK. If you are caught torrenting, you can be imprisoned for up to 10 years! So use a UK VPN to make sure you are not caught!
Summing up the Best VPNs for the UK
Getting a VPN for the UK is so important and I can’t stress it enough. The UK Government is brutal when it comes to online privacy and the Acts they have passed given them far too much power (in my opinion). The best way to escape their rein is with a VPN. The ones we have suggested work amazingly when it comes to securing your connections and spoofing your location. Upgrade your UK internet today and give yourself the privacy you deserve.
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