The United Kingdom is one of the more bias places to connect to. Though the general mood of internet access is quite liberal, several uneasy changes happened in recent years. This is especially true for the legal background of internet access, surveillance, along with database and privacy rights. The United Kingdom is a member of the EU, but some aspects of internet law are separately created, as certain EU sanctions were deemed “invalid”. Overall, the trends established negatively affect internet freedom in the UK; let it be direct or indirect retention. Some very specific sanctions were made: you can read about them below.
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.
For as little as $3.09 per month, users can enjoy all the perks of having a secure and high-speed VPN. Plus, a generous refund policy allows you to get your money back if you decide NordVPN isn't for you during the first 30 days.
A surfing shark might not conjure up an image of security, but it does represent an effective way of defending yourself from the threats of the deep ocean that is the internet.
Established in 2018, Surfshark offers aesthetically-pleasing apps for multiple platforms. The Netherlands-based company continues to enhance its cybersecurity, merging with Nord Security in 2022. The VPN service doesn't miss out on any critical security features, such as a static IP address and kill switch, and provides servers in more than 100 countries.
Additionally, Surfshark offers encryption protocols (including WireGuard) and P2P support, alternative IDs, and a no-logs policy. It is one of the cheapest services on the market and offers a 7-day free trial for Android, iOS, and macOS devices, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service risk free.
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.
England is one of the more popular cultures of our planet. This stems from many reasons, but two stand out: it is a heritage of England having been one of the greatest empires, and the rise of another English-speaking culture in the 20th century, of the United States. Today, this creates an increasing demand for English online content, too. However, not only is the UK internally reserved, but the country also shows a masked face to the outside online domain. Most major television and entertainment streams are geoblocked, especially the BBC family. All of this happens in opposition the EU’s directive, intending to create a single digital market.
This means that there are major advantages to using a UK IP. You will get access to the less restricted, inner online content of the country. There are even some VPN providers that specialize in UK access.
As of 2015, the United Kingdom’s internet freedom is highly affected by various laws enacted over the course of the last decade.
This tone is further highlighted by different laws the United Kingdom put to work. The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act of 2014 for example – that was made in response to the EU’s then data retention directive being rendered obsolete – states a number of crucial points. In short, it permits the keeping of telephone and internet records for one year for the police and security organizations. This does not include the actual texts or sound files themselves, rather “just” data like duration and timestamps.
Still, on 17 July 2015, sections 1 and 2 of this law were found “unlawful”. As a result, this law will need to be revised until 2016. The Communications Data Bill of 2008 for example started the Communications Capabilities Development Programme that extends the above mass monitoring to all devices including telephones and home computers. Currently, blocking is not obligatory, meaning you can volunteer to have restrictions installed. Still, this does not soothe the situation, as the UK government is still prone to make these changes.
This means that internet users inside the UK have access to potentially restricted content and even their actions are monitored in some way or another. For expats or anyone wishing to access content from outside the country’s borders, they will have a hard time partially because of geoblocks and partially because the content itself is filtered.
All internet providers in the UK are prohibited from providing access to a good number of websites right off the bat. The used system is known as “default-on or opt-in”. Since 2013, all ISP customers are not preferred viewing online content containing “dating, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, […] nudity, social networking, […] fashion and beauty, gore, cyberbullying, hacking and web-blocking circumvention tools” (Wikipedia), among others. What are a lot more alarming are blocks on sex education, suicide prevention and libraries. In our opinion, these restrictions are aimed at controlling information, and thus people’s knowledge about topics; some of which actually benefit a human life. The Pirate Bay and its many country specific domains are also frequently blocked.
The availability of streaming services is crudely restricted in the UK. The BBC’s families of television and entertainment channels are altogether not accessible from the outside by default. This also includes BBC iPlayer. All 4, ITV Player and Spotify are similarly hosted on the islands. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that because so much content of the country itself is restricted, it is worth using VPN services to unblock them. The United Kingdom is also selective to specific levels. Sports streaming – especially football and the Premier League – are heavily regulated. Unofficial sources of streaming websites often come under pressure, and some lesser known music streamers are even blocked by court order. This, combined with the fact that file sharing is also opposed, points to a policy of seeing the internet as a source of profit.
As for services that are seated elsewhere (for example the U.S.), the respective countries sanction their own availability. This means that if you try access non-UK content from the UK or with the country’s IP address, you will still not get to go places. There are very few instances known where online content is not blocked between two countries based on good relations only. The EU does attempt to create a generally accessible online market for its member states, but this is also done by way of sanctions.
Lastly, we would like to recommend some VPN providers that bypass all of the above issues and can provide you full access to UK online content. Liberty Shield (formerly known as UK Proxy Server) is a company focusing on UK expats, with a central theme similarly close to home ground. Their specialty is unblocking websites and streaming services like BBC, SkyGO, Hulu, among others. HideMyAss is also a great choice, as the UK-based company provides encrypted e-mail traffic and file uploading, two of the things potentially under surveillance by the UK. ExpressVPN is one of the most well known services around. Though slightly more expensive, you are bound to get a service that is full and up to par – if not better – than the rest. In our opinion, if you are curious about the full online content of the UK, a VPN is recommended, both for residents and foreigners.
The Best Reviews team researches and tests all products first-hand. We've been reviewing products and services since 2012 and are proud to only publish human-created content.
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.
©2012-2026 Best Reviews, a clovio brand –
All rights
reserved
