The best VPN services are growing in popularity as a simple way to maintain your privacy online or stream geo-blocked content from sites like Netflix or Amazon Prime. They work by enabling you to reroute your internet connection to another server, concealing your real IP address by virtually changing your location. The software uses secure, encrypted connections to make your online activity much harder to trace.
Italy is a big market for VPNs, but because of their private nature, many wonder if they are legal. In this article, we will explore the legality of using an Italy VPN to help make your online activity anonymous.
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VPNs are entirely legal in Italy
Good news for anyone travelling to or living in Italy – the Italian government has relatively few legal restrictions on internet usage, and using a VPN to protect your online activity is completely safe and legal.
In fact, using a VPN is perfectly legal in most countries. The few exceptions include North Korea, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. China and Russia, meanwhile, only permit access to government-approved VPNs. Fortunately, these restrictions do not apply in Italy, and both visitors and residents are free to use a VPN to cover their digital footprints.
Why would someone in Italy want a VPN?
If you are travelling abroad to Italy, a VPN is a great way to ensure you still have access to the same streaming content you would in your home country. Because VPNs reroute your internet connection, you can access streaming content that is, for example, only available in the US by choosing to reroute to a US-based server. With many Netflix or Amazon Prime shows being unavailable in other countries, VPNs are the perfect option to make sure you don’t miss an episode just because you are abroad.
Or perhaps you’re enjoying one of Italy’s famous espressos, and want a more secure internet connection for browsing on your phone than the public Wi-Fi hotspot available at the café. Fortunately, VPNs are also available for mobile devices, allowing you access to a private connection even from a mobile device. An Android VPN or iPhone VPN will help keep your mobile online activity shielded from any prying eyes, enabling you to browse with confidence.
But these are not the only reasons why someone in Italy might want a VPN. Even though the Italian government does not restrict most legal internet usage, your internet service provider (ISP) still tracks all of your online activity. ISPs can not only track your geographic location and which websites you visit, but also monitor things like how long you spend on a particular site, what videos you watch, and what device you are using. This data can be used for many purposes, such as selling targeted advertisements. It may even be shared with authorities as part of government surveillance.
And because Italy is a part of the Fourteen Eyes Surveillance Alliance, personal data collected on you while browsing the internet in Italy may be shared with countries like the US or the UK. The easiest way to prevent intrusive government surveillance is to use a VPN to encrypt your browsing activity and location.
VPNs don’t make illegal acts legal
VPNs make tracing your online activity much harder, but you should never assume that anything you do online is 100% private. While it is completely legal to use a VPN to establish a more secure and private internet connection, you should never use a VPN for illegal purposes. You are responsible for your behavior online, whether using a VPN or not.
However, there are many useful and legal reasons to value your privacy online and seek out a VPN that is right for you. For users who want to protect themselves during potentially risky P2P file sharing, check out our guide to the best torrenting VPNs. Or if you plan to use a VPN to gain access to streaming content from all over the world, read up first with our guide to the best streaming VPNs.
What's the best VPN for people in Italy?
