The question of whether or not a VPN is legal in the Netherlands is what we aim to answer in this article. Many countries forbid the usage of a VPN, but does the same apply to a state that leads Europe in internet access? I guess you will have to read on to find out.
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Is VPN Legal in the Netherlands
No matter what you’re doing in Holland, it’s probably a good idea to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when you’re online. Why? Because you can, and they’re not illegal. Government-mandated Internet censorship doesn’t exist there. This has to do with the house of representatives speaking out against filtering on various occasions.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands will always be pressured by other European Union countries to create data retention laws for ‘fighting terrorism.’ Although the Dutch may have shown some resistance against this, the state might have to give in to the pressure in the future. The Netherlands, like many countries, aims to prevent or control copyright infringement on the internet. There also have been proposals to filter child pornography, which is not at all upsetting.
Internet Access in the Netherlands
Generally speaking, the Netherlands is known for its internet freedom and strong privacy laws. So, it’s unsurprising to learn that the use of a VPN is entirely legal in the country. Many VPNs are based in the Netherlands. However, that doesn’t eliminate the fact that the Netherlands is a 14 Eyes country. Meaning it is part of an international surveillance alliance. The lack of privacy there is a good reason to use a VPN.
Following the European Union directive, some providers were asked to store information about internet traffic. This law required ISPs to collect user traffic and location data for storage for 12 months. The EU Data Retention Directive was implemented in the Netherlands through the Telecommunications Data Retention Act until it was invalidated in 2014.
At the moment, Holland, similarly to the rest of the European Union, abides by the General Data Retention Law (GDPR).
Use a VPN in the Netherlands
A VPN can offer a lot of benefits. If you like streaming content, a VPN can grant you access to geo-locked sites that might not otherwise be available in the Netherlands. For instance, if you want to stream US Netflix (which is unavailable outside the US), a VPN can give you access to the streaming service. You can also access content exclusive to the Netherlands when traveling abroad. Aside from unblocking content, a VPN can provide you increased security and improved privacy.
It encrypts your website traffic in a way that neither ISPs nor third parties can track your online activity. This, in particular, might be a concern in the Netherlands because of the European Union data retention laws. Having a VPN can also come in handy if you torrent or use Kodi. And if you’re using public WiFi – which is something you’re most likely going to do – a VPN will block hackers from stealing your information.
Best VPN for the Netherlands
Because there are many VPNs on the market, we thought we would help you out by directing your attention to what VPN you should be looking for. First and foremost, the VPN you want to pick must provide fast and reliable connections as well as robust encryption protocols and other security features.
The VPN you choose must maintain a no-logging policy so that none of your online activities gets monitored. Most importantly, the VPN you decide to commit to must have strong unblocking properties. That way, you’ll be able to unblock worldwide content effortlessly while you’re in the Netherlands. Check out the following list to know what are our top recommendations for the best VPN for the Netherlands.
1. NordVPN
2. ExpressVPN
3. Surfshark
4. CyberGhost
5. Private Internet Access
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Conclusion
With that level of internet freedom in the country, it’s only sensical to be able to use a VPN in the Netherlands. Don’t worry about VPNs legalization, instead of worry about your privacy and online freedom, which can be attained using a VPN. If you care about online privacy and security in the Netherlands, you need a good VPN. They are so many of them, which you can check out in the best VPN for the Netherlands article. Let us know what you decide on in the comment section below.
