Many people dream of visiting a sunny paradise where they can relax away from clusters of tourists. That place can be Malta, a small island of just 400,000 inhabitants located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea that is home to some beautiful landscapes of calm blue waters and white sandy beaches and just as much rich, historic culture. Malta has been part of the European Union since 2004, which means it obeys the rules and guidelines that other countries also must follow.
Some of those regulations are related to internet freedom and, much like most European countries, online censorship is something that doesn’t moor on the island’s shores, meaning residents and visitors can access VoIP services and apps, Netflix and other streaming sites. Freedom House confirms this openness by declaring the press status of Malta as “free” ever since it first analyzed the country, with an aggregate score of 96 out of 100.
Fiber optic 100Mbit/s speeds reached the homes of Malta in 2010 thanks to Melita, one of the country’s most popular ISPs; there are other providers for both domestic and business users that provide slower speeds at more affordable costs. This results in an internet penetration rate of more than three quarters of the population and, because there are no government restrictions on the internet, all the most in-demand websites are available. This means it’s possible to create a Netflix account using a Maltese IP address, use social media websites without restraints and make voice and video calls with Skype and WhatsApp easily.
The online privacy laws of Malta follow European Union regulations meaning that certain data is collected by ISPs, though users are first asked for consent regarding the way in which it can be used. For instance, users are asked about the type of location data that can be processed, its purpose and the duration of such processing, and whether that processed data shall be transmitted to a third party to provide other services. The traffic data of subscription services is also used for communication about products, advertising new services, offering customer inquiries and more, though it is deemed to be erased when no longer necessary or when such contract ends.
As mentioned, there is no internet censorship in Malta as the government doesn’t monitor its use. Facebook, Twitter, Skype and many of the other usual targets for the most repressive countries are all available in the Mediterranean island without penalty or persecution for those using it.
However, there are laws about defamation against the head of state, the country’s Roman Catholic religion and more. In 2017 an anti-corruption journalist was murdered by a car bomb after years of pressure from exposing local politics on her blog. “At the time of her death, she was the target of 42 civil defamation actions and five criminal defamation proceedings,” Reporters Without Borders write. This indirectly caused early general elections in that same year and still motivates street protests of free expression and anti-corruption groups.
Notwithstanding, the internet is still considered a free and safe space for Maltese citizens, and VPNs are legal, too.
Streaming is very popular in Malta, much like the rest of the world, actually. However, the country has banned Kodi and other similar services as a measure adopted by the European Union back in 2017. But others have legal permits to operate and accept subscriptions from within the country, as is the case of Netflix, which debuted in the country back in 2016. Maltese users don’t enjoy a library as big as the American one, but the fact that the service is available in the country is already seen as positive. In the case of music, Spotify, Apple Music and many others are also available, accepting subscriptions from within the island’s borders.
HideMyAss is one of the best choices when it comes to large server networks. Because it features almost 200 countries, there are very few places where it cannot reach. There are hundreds scattered around Europe and even two in the small island of Malta, granting Maltese IP addresses to those that need them. It also brings a complete set of additional features and extra tools, while the unlimited bandwidth and consistent connection speeds make it perfect for streaming. All purchases include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
When looking for a VPN with great speeds and a large number of supported devices ExpressVPN is often among the first results. Besides this, it also protects user data with top notch 256-bit SSL encryption and since the company doesn’t place a cap on bandwidth it is a viable choice for streaming and any other purpose. The VPN network counts 1,500 servers in 94 countries, including Malta – which actually has the best protocols available. The service can be tested risk-free by making use of the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Among the hundreds of VPN providers on the market, IPVanish was able to grab to our number one spot a couple years ago and has remained there ever since. This VPN is simply superb and was designed to be attractive to every kind of user, giving them over 1,000 high-quality servers in 60 countries, though Malta is not on that list. Regardless, it’s still possible to enjoy the best unblocking, streaming and torrenting experiences thanks to speeds that are among the best of the industry, great encryption levels and a vast range of VPN protocols. There are no free trials but the seven-day money-back guarantee ensures a week of risk-free testing.
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