Iceland is one of the best places on the planet to surf the internet at. The colder outside climate (or any sort of political climate) rarely affects the very much rideable online waves, and therefore the country can be considered a pillar of internet freedom. So much so that the only thing “censored” from the online realm is censorship itself. This is of course an overstatement; there are internationally accepted types of content that are not allowed in Iceland either. Nevertheless, beyond those, there is next to no limitation on what can be made public. Our look at Iceland as a destination to connect to using a VPN is definitely of uplifting mood.
NordVPN has already managed to conquer the market by being one of the most reputable and trustworthy services ever made. Among its vast arsenal of features, the close attention given to security is one of the major highlights, thanks to the presence of an automatic kill switch, protection against DNS leaks, ads and malware, and even double VPN servers.
Speaking of which, these are only some of NordVPN's special servers that compose a global network filled with unusual locations, P2P countries, support for Onion over VPN, and more. NordVPN has a handful of different subscriptions in the form of simple apps for all kinds of devices and user types.
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VyprVPN, provided by Swiss-based Golden Frog, is one of the longest standing VPN services in the world. They own and manage both their server and their client software under one roof, without outsourcing anything to third party companies. Thanks to this, they not only guarantee unlimited bandwidth and stellar server uptime, but it has also allowed Golden Frog to come up with a set of innovative features. VyprVPN users have access to a unique network protocol called Chameleon, which scrambles metadata allowing you to bypass restrictions. Those who regularly run into unwanted malware sites, could prevent malicious redirections with the built-in VyprDNS feature and you can even manage your own VPN network via VyprVPN Cloud. The fast and secure routing is made complete with a large group of possible server locations, counting more than 70 countries and 200,000 IP addresses. VyprVPN is available for every major home device, smartphone and operating system. The subscription cost starts from $5 per month, but you can give it a go for free thanks to the 3-day trial.
Proton VPN was originally created to protect journalists and activists from repressive governments and allow them to communicate safely, but it quickly rose in popularity among a broader audience. Launched by the Swiss company Proton AG in 2017, Proton VPN has everything required to let you browse the internet anonymously without worrying about privacy issues.
This multi-platform and open source VPN boasts above-average speeds, stable connections, no DNS leaks, P2P and streaming support, custom connection profiles, and best-in-class protocols like WireGuard. In addition, Proton VPN offers an unlimited free version and discounts of up to 64% on its paid plans.
The greatest advantage of the Icelandic internet is obviously the lack of restrictions. As explained below, the legal system actually supports internet freedom, meaning that the country follows a trend opposite to most other European countries that seek to establish a tighter grip. Internet in Iceland is backed up by a phenomenal technical environment as well. Today, being online plays an important role in both education and the social sphere in Iceland. Therefore, if you plan to connect to the internet with an Icelandic IP address, expect high quality internet.
The only minor drawback to Iceland does not come from the nature of its internet, but rather its location. Iceland is a distant island, meaning that you will inevitably experience higher pings than usual, even if you connect from nearby countries like Norway or Canada. This is of course nobody “fault”, except the fault line of the two continental plates that meet under Iceland. Humor aside, no compliments.
It is true that Iceland is an outspoken supporter of internet freedom. The abolition of censorship is written into the country’s constitution, but this vast freedom opens some space up for defamatory material or questions of copyright that are debated in Iceland. It is also important to note that the country is a part of the European Economic Area, but not the EU. This means that if you connect to the Icelandic internet, you are protected by the consumer laws of the EU, for example (and not Iceland’s). Other than this, there is nothing substantial to mention – you are legally free to roam around in the online branches of Iceland.
There are some types of content that are restricted or filtered in Iceland. We must emphasize here that only censorship is prohibited. A complete block of a certain online content is still possible in Iceland. The most prominently disallowed type of material is child pornography. Iceland runs a program of child safety; this includes both physical and mental protection from harm. General pornography and even gambling websites are not banned in Iceland today. Furthermore, action is taken against reducing any type of defamation. Nevertheless, those who connect to Iceland can enjoy a very free internet.
Streaming availability in Iceland is varying. In terms of music, you will not be able to find Apple Music, for example, but you can listen to tunes on Google Play Music. Rdio and Spotify are both present in the country, along with 8tracks, SoundCloud and Bandcamp. Some providers that are highly restricted like Rhapsody, Napster or Pandora are only available in one to three countries on the planet – these do not include Iceland. For film and other video other video content, selection is a bit sparser. Netflix is set to launch in Iceland and has been set since early 2015, with no results as of the end of the year. However, there is a very positive side to Icelandic film culture: the website filminiceland provides a lot of background information on the surprisingly massive amount of films that were at least partially shot on the island.
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