Best VPNs for El Salvador

Using a Salvadoran IP

Although El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, with a population of approximately 6.34 million, it is the densest one. Due to natural disasters, especially earthquakes, poor infrastructure has prevented the telecom sector from developing, leading to low internet penetration in the past few years. However, the number of internet users has doubled in the past two years, and now in 2019, there are approximately 3.8 million active internet users, which represents an internet penetration of 60% (up 29% since 2017).

On top of that, internet speeds have also been improving. The speed rate was something around 2MB/s a few years ago – in 2019 you’ll get an average of 9MB/s for both download and upload speeds, which includes a recent evolution of a 50% increase from the previous year.

At the same time, there are no government restrictions regarding access to the internet, which means that VPNs, social media, VoIP, and streaming services are all legal and accessible.

El Salvador online privacy laws

Although El Salvador lacks specific regulations regarding online privacy laws, it doesn’t mean its citizens are unprotected. Article two of the constitution guarantees the right to honor, personal and family privacy, and the right to one’s own image.

In other words, privacy and data protection perfectly fit within article two, transforming it into a fundamental right incorporated into the constitution. Therefore, the constitution forbids arbitrary interference with privacy, protecting its citizens’ online data.

Internet censorship in El Salvador

The Salvadoran constitution clearly conveys freedom of expression, recognized in article six, meaning that anyone is free to speak openly, and there is no censorship in place. At least, in theory.

It’s true that, by law, there is no censorship, and members of the media can speak their minds and give their opinions freely. The same goes for the typical internet users who have the right to express their judgment as they see fit.

However, even though the government does not enforce censorship, that doesn’t mean Salvadoran gangs won’t. El Salvador is one of the countries with the highest crime rates, mainly because of gang disputes, which is one of the main reasons why Salvadorans are illegally migrating to the U.S.

It’s not unheard of for journalists in El Salvador to get death threats from gang members. One example is the death threat Carlos Dada, the owner of an online newspaper, got after reporting on a gang truce in 2012. Although the International Press Institute criticized the government for not taking action, it seems that things have not improved that much since then. Due to this, although there is no enforcement to do so, the media practices self-censorship to protect themselves, especially when reporting news regarding gangs and narcotics trafficking.

Nonetheless, the typical user will find free internet where all (legal) websites are open and where you can speak your mind as you please.

When it comes to torrenting, contrary to other countries, El Salvador does not have any specific laws and the websites that offer downloadable content are open and available. The country does have intellectual property laws in place, but due to the high crime rate, most of the time these laws are not enforced.

Streaming services in El Salvador

El Salvador’s media is entirely private and dominated by a few national TV networks. The main player is Telecorporación Salvadoreña which broadcasts five of the eight available channels. The country also has several radio stations and press, which all have an online presence.

Moreover, since we are talking about a country with no censorship that defends the right to information, all of the Salvadoran media is open worldwide. This means you can watch, listen, or read any of the national press anywhere in the world without using a VPN.

With the overall improvement of the internet throughout the country and increased penetration, El Salvador is starting to offer various streaming services. Some of the ones you will be able to access through a VPN service are Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO, among other popular streaming services.

Free El Salvador VPN trials

Unfortunately, not many VPN providers offer servers within El Salvador. However, we were able to find three excellent VPN services that will do the trick.

Le VPN