Best VPNs for Albania

Using an Albanian IP

With a population of almost three million people, Albania has been one of the emerging countries when it comes to internet. It has 65.8% internet penetration, which is more than Italy and Greece. Such growth has reflected itself on a range of fields, such as media. It has been noted that over the last years, journalists and readers have moved from print and television to online media. Although this shift has occurred, there’s still no legislation in place for online media, despite the government’s efforts in that area.

Not many internationally-known streaming services are available in Albania, however the country has a diverse offering to make up for that. DigitAlb is the most popular digital TV platform with over 70 channels in almost 15 different categories. Their content includes films, native and international channels, and radio as well. SuperSport is very popular amongst the population since its 12 television sports channels are broadcasted live and in full HD and, interestingly, some of the games can be watched in 3D.

Additionally, ShqipTV, an IPTV service, gives you access to 25 Albanian channels. The service is already available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand but may be of interest to natives living abroad.

Albanian online privacy laws

Although it isn’t part of the member list yet, Albania has been a candidate for joining the European Union since June, 2014. Therefore, the principles applied to the Albanian online privacy laws are similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that the E.U. has in place. According to Deloitte’s 2016 International Comparative Legal Guide to Data Protection, the key principles that apply to the processing of personal data are Transparency, Lawful basis for processing, Purpose limitation, Proportionality, and Retention. Additionally, individuals have the right to access their personal data, request correction and deletion, object to its processing, and object to marketing purposes. Users can also complain to the relevant data protection authorities. Essentially, browsing the internet using an Albanian location can be considered a safe experience since the country has Data Protection principles and legislation in place.

Internet censorship in Albania

Additionally, it has been noted by Balkan Investigate Reporting Network on their “Report on Self-censorship in the Albanian Media“, that journalism is very biased in Albania. Journalists have mentioned that certain topics are to be avoided when writing a story. News regarding politics, crimes, and economy are often sidestepped because of the political parties involved, the financial status of the media company, or even the journalist’s own safety.

Furthermore, the government has been trying to pass laws, that in various degrees, can be considered a threat to media coverage. For instance, the first amendment of the proposed legislation tasks the agency overseeing the communications with keeping a register of online media. The second amendment requires the Albanian Audiovisual Media Authority to ensure that online media does not publish content that may damage public morale or incite penal offenses. Such requirements have angered various organizations who claim that this legislation could do more harm than good to online media and could potentially degrade the public’s access to information.

Streaming services in Albania

While the country has high internet penetration, online connection is still under-developed. Connections may be slow at times, making it impossible for users to enjoy surfing the web. With a still-developing web environment, not many streaming devices are available in Albania. Netflix was one of the first popular services in this category to invest in the country but other international players like Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Prime have neglected the potential of the Albanian market. Although internationally-known services are scarce in Albania, the country has a diverse range of IPTV and Digital TV services accessible. DigitAlb, Supersport, and ShqipTV are some of them, offering entertainment in different areas, such as films, series, music, and news.

And even though Albanians enjoy native content, they often overcome geographic boundaries to access internationally-known applications by using VPN software. Using VPN software is legal in Albania and, besides giving access to content available in other countries, it may also be an alternative to what can be classified as a still-disappointing internet quality service.

Free Albanian VPN trials

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