Using an Ecuadorian IP
With a population of 16.6 million and an internet penetration of 57.3%, the number of people accessing the internet in Ecuador has increased in past years. While internet access is provided with no bandwidth limits through broadband and satellite connections, the country’s internet infrastructure is still growing, which means connection speeds may be slower than expected. It is public knowledge that the government does not control the allocation of domain names or IP addresses, and nor is content blocked or filtered in Ecuador.
Well-known services like Netflix, Spotify, or Amazon Prime are available in the country for whoever wants to subscribe them. Regional content only available in the country will attract both those who are fascinated by the culture and Ecuadorians who are living abroad.
However, with Ecuador’s internet freedom declining in recent years due to an aggressive political climate, information such as the IP address of clients isn’t safe in the hands of the country’s ISPs. Additionally, cyber attacks have increased dramatically in the country, putting the safety of the online population in danger.
Ecuadorian online privacy laws
The right for personal data protection has been recognized by The Constitution of Ecuador since 2008. However, according to Freedom House, while anonymous or encrypted communications are not forbidden, “ISPs are required to submit the IP addresses of their clients without a judicial order on request”. Additionally, leaked reports show that there has been active monitoring of the public web and prominent political figures.
However, a new online privacy law has been in development for the past year. The objective is not only to protect users when it comes to the use of their data, but also to determinate an entity to supervise the legal obligations and rights defined in the law. Its submission and consequent execution is still far off, though, so in the meantime Ecuadorian netizens may want to look for some security solutions to guarantee anonymous and encrypted browsing.
Internet censorship in Ecuador
In this environment, making comments on political subjects using social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter is discouraged since such publications can easily be reported and removed. It’s also become a trend for public institutions to use copyright laws to take down content and often issue copyright infringement notices. It isn’t uncommon that those same public institutions will issue a pre-written correction to the initial censured content.
With online suppression showing no signs of stopping, users should look into protecting themselves whenever browsing the internet. VPN services are legal in Ecuador and are often used to increase the connection speed. Given that the main goal of such software is to provide online anonymity and safety, they are of great use for people living in or visiting Ecuadorian territory. Users can therefore protect their personal data and have access to faster web connections.
Streaming services in Ecuador
Despite how small the country’s internet penetration still is, natives of Ecuador already benefit from having some of the most popular streaming services available in the country. From Netflix and Amazon Prime to Apple Music and Spotify, popular content platforms have entered the Ecuadorian market in recent years. Users can enjoy libraries complete with thousands of films, TV series, eBooks, and music with both international and locally-produced content. Naturally, in terms of quantity, regionally-created multimedia represents a very small percentage of these services’ offerings.
Since internet connections can be extremely slow at times, those accessing through a local server may find themselves frustrated and unable to make the most of the available content. Using a VPN may be a great solution since a connection through an international server will provide access to the same streaming services and an overall better connection. Users will be able to access content from services in other countries, such as Netflix U.S., and though they won’t be able to see Ecuadorian-exclusive content, they will still have a huge set of worldwide options at a click.
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