The censorship online has become one of the biggest annoyances that the internet users can meet, and despite the fact that it varies from country to country, as we said, pretty much everyone ever has come across it.
Many countries around the world are forcing it upon their citizens, and the most strict ones are definitely in Asia. However, today, we’re going to see what’s like in Italy, and also what can you do to help yourself, whether you live there, or if you’re just going to Italy for a vacation or business trip.
Wherever you are from, the chances are that the things in Italy aren’t going to be the same as they are in your country, and we think that you should be prepared.
And if you are the citizen of Italy, you probably know better than anyone that your country has some of the strictest censorship laws in Europe. However, the answer to all of the problems exists, and it’s fairly simple – get and use VPN.
What Is VPN And Why Do You Need It In Italy
Virtual Private Network, or VPN for short, is pretty much what the name says – a private network, one that’s stretched out over the regular network that you use.
It’s being used for increasing the user’s safety, anonymity, and it can also be used for various other purposes, like unlocking geo-restricted content, bypassing firewalls, cloaking your location and alike.
VPNs are basically private networks that operate on via their own set of servers, often placed around the world in many different countries.
Many of them have grown quite a bit since they came out of the shadows and started enjoying their newly found popularity, and they have strict laws and governments to thank for that.
When it comes to a regular user, they are a way to encrypt your content and hide your location and other data that can be accessed if someone gets your real IP address.
They also do more than that, which includes providing protection from malware and spies, blocking ads, bypassing restrictions, allowing safe torrenting and alike.
VPN is needed because the Internet isn’t what it used to be, and it definitely isn’t as people want it to be. It’s supposed to be a free place, where you can enjoy yourself and access any sort of online content that you wish.
Instead, it’s turning into a place where we can only access websites and content that someone else decided that we should access, and see what someone else thinks we should see. This is the form of censorship that changes the way people think, especially if they’re not even aware of it.
Luckily, as we mentioned, a VPN can put a stop to this, and let you be the one to decide what you should be able to access. So, let’s learn more about them, including which ones to use, how to set them up, and what exactly do they offer.
Best VPN for Italy And How To Get It
Getting VPNs in Italy isn’t that difficult, and it’s way easier than it is in China, UAE or some other Asian country with strict laws against using such tech. What is a problem, however, is choosing the right one for the job.
As we said, VPNs can do a lot for you, which is one of the biggest reasons why they’ve become so popular in the last few years. Before that, they were mostly used by hackers and online criminals, as well as by a handful of people who were aware of the online dangers before the rest of us.
But since the stories about governments spying on their people came out, people have started turning to VPNs more and more, and discovered what exactly is it that they can do.
When it comes to choosing the right one for you, you first need to decide what it is that you need it for. Do you need them for regular browsing, or is it streaming videos? Upload and download, or protecting sensitive emails and other data?
These are the things that you have to decide because no matter how many VPNs there are, it’s safe to say that there are no two of them that are the same. Every one of them has the same basic features, yes, but after that, they’re all different.
We’re here to recommend some of the universal ones, with giant networks and strong encryption that are bound to help you with whatever you need. However, it is possible that you don’t need that much power on your hands, and you simply want a small part of what these VPNs can do, like secure your emails.
Whatever the case, we’re going to recommend VPNs with top speeds, strong encryption, and as many features as we can, all for the lowest prices of $10 or less per month. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our top five picks for the best VPN for Italy:
- ExpressVPN
- IPVanish
- HideMyAss
- NordVPN
- LeVPN
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPNÂ is one of the best VPN for Italy, and it’s often even described as VPN industry leader. The speeds are extremely fast, and that makes it perfect or things like streaming and gaming, and it’s also very reliable.
This is very important to consider since you don’t want your data to be exposed or badly protected.
ExpressVPN has many quality features, but one of the most quality services that they offer is their customer support, which is available non-stop and can be contacted via email or live chat at any time.
Basically, any and every problem that you might have can be solved in 20 minutes or less. They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, and so you can safely go and try it out – if you don’t like it, you can always go back on the deal, as long as it’s within the first 30 days.
It lacks a free trial, but you can consider this to be a free service that lasts an entire month, just don’t forget to get your money back in time.
ExpressVPN also offers unlimited bandwidth, two connections at once, and on pretty much any platform and device, they keep no logs, have an amazing encryption, and offer tons of servers in over 77 countries.
Prices are pretty decent for this kind of service, and you can pay via Bitcoin, PayPal, or any of the major credit/debit cards.
IPVanish
Our next entry for the best VPN for Italy, IPVanish, is pretty much as good as ExpressVPN. It’s not only good for Italy, but for the entire world, and no matter where you are and where you go, IPVanish will protect you and be there for you.
This VPN provider is often considered to be very competitive, but it’s also one of the best ones when it comes to things like accessing blocked content.
They offer servers in 60 different countries and provide you with over 25,000 IP addresses, which means that there’s pretty much nothing that you can’t access if you decide to go with this VPN.
Perhaps the biggest advantage that this VPN has is the fact that it actually owns its own network.
This allows them to get access to such an amazing speed, that there’s pretty much no other provider that can compete. And the features that it offers don’t stop there, but instead, you get several different protocols, software that’s pretty simple to use, unlimited bandwidth, up to five connections at once, and even compatibility with a bunch of systems.
IPVanish also offers very strong encryptions, they keep no logs, and you get a 7-day money back guarantee. Not a bad deal at all.
HideMyAss
HideMyAss is a clever VPN with an obvious sense of humor, and also with one of the largest networks that were ever seen in the world of VPNs.
It offers over 860 servers that are spread around the world and located in over 190 countries. All in all, around 110,000 IP addresses are being offered here, which actually does make it one of the largest VPNs out there.
These are some amazing numbers, even when it comes to VPNs, and HideMyAss is bound to do just that, and also make you a local in pretty much any of the world’s networks.
When it comes to the features that it offers, there are many, just like in our previous two entries. Despite the fact that it’s one of the largest networks available, it’s prices are very affordable, it has a well-organized FAQ, and it also offers a speed test tool.
Its customer support can be contacted via live chat, email, and even a phone. Encryptions are decent, speed as well, and it doesn’t keep logs, which is an obvious clue to how much this provider cares about their customers’ privacy.
Now, if you think that all of these VPNs are complicated, scary, hard to get and so on, don’t be. In fact, getting one of the VPNs is one of the easiest things in the world, and all you need is a couple of clicks. Simply choose one of them, go to their website and create an account.
You’ll have to pay for it, but as we said, most of the good oneâs cost between $5 and $10 per month. After that, simply download and install the app, log into it, choose a server, and that’s it. It’s literally that simple.
NordVPN
NordVPN is similar to the previous entries, and it also offers a lot of different features. It’s among the best-organized VPNs that you can find. and it has a unique feature that allows it to encrypt your data twice.
Double encryption means double safety, and NordVPN is pretty much the only VPN provider that does this. Its connections are fast but very reliable, and its network is more than decent when it comes to size. It offers up to 981 servers that are located in 58 countries.
Speed is very important to this provider, as well as safety. That makes it perfect for the tasks like streaming, torrenting, or any other kind of work where the speed is appreciated. Its setup is simple enough to understand, and using the app is easy for everyone.
All these features are followed by a no logging policy, kill switch, support towards P2P file sharing, as well as a 30-day money back guarantee.
And when it comes to the form of payment, NordVPN accepts pretty much anything, including Bitcoins, all for the purpose of being easily available and obtainable by everyone.
LeVPN
And in place number five, our final entry, Le VPN. It’s very secure and trustworthy provider, created by an extremely capable team of security specialists back in 2010. Ever since it was made, it’s getting users and subscribers every single day, which is proof enough that it deserves to be on our list.
As we’ve mentioned, it was created by security specialists, so you know it’s going to have the best encryption and everything else that says ‘secure’. This includes confidentiality as well, and it’s no logging policy is as strict as they come.
Keep in mind that the network is still growing to this day, but for now, it offers multiple servers in over 114 countries. Other than that, it also supports P2P file sharing, has a simple enough software, unlimited bandwidth, high speeds, and it’s available on multiple platforms.
It even has a unique feature, which is the combination of a VPN and a Smart DNS. This combination is named HybridVPN, and it’s something you won’t find anywhere else.
With that, it’s money back guarantee, several protocols that are offered, and also the ability to use two different devices at the same time, Le VPN is a must, and is just as good as the rest of them from the list.
What Are The Best VPN Protocols
When it comes to VPN protocols, there are several of them that you can use. All of the ones that we’re going to mention here are recommended, and you can be sure that they’ll do a good job when it comes to tunneling your data flow.
The best one, according to most of the experienced users, is the one called OpenVPN protocol. Other than this one, you can also go with:
- SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol)
- L2TP/IPSec (Layer-to-Tunneling Protocol)
- PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol)
They all use strong different encryption standards, like 128bit or 256bit. With pretty much any of these, you can rest easy and know that your data is being strongly encrypted, and safely tunneled.
Italy’s Freedom Issues
Italy is mostly seen as a country of romance, pasta, beautiful art, amazing sights, and pretty strong copyright laws. This is one very politically polarized country, and much of its news are limited and skewed.
To be fair, most of these practices are from the previous governments, but it’s still a very good idea to do whatever you can to protect yourself from legal prosecution.
And of course, a VPN is one of the perfect solutions for this sort of issues. It’s important to protect your data since Italy likes having access to its citizens’ personal info.
When it comes to Italy’s internet privacy, it’s so bad that even the US has praised them. Many times, a minor issue was enough to take down entire websites, and freedom of the press is also often endangered as well.
Another major issue is defamation, and one Facebook user was even fined for defaming her boss online. As you can see, things in Italy are pretty bad when it comes to users’ privacy.
It’s also not that good idea to use Italian servers either since we’ve already mentioned that they aren’t protected enough and that privacy will be endangered.
When To Install VPN
Whether you’re going on a trip to Italy, or you live there, it’s never too late to install a VPN. They can be easily accessed from within the country as well, so there’s no need to install them before your trip, even though it’s still a good idea.
After all, it’s best to set it up for the security of your own home and systems that you’re familiar with, and it never hurts to be prepared. Other than that, you should be fine. Setting up a VPN can do even more than protect you, and you can also use it to be able to access the content from your own country, or from other countries.
Services like Hulu, US Netflix and alike that you might enjoy if you’re an American won’t be available to you in Italy. At least not unless you’re using a VPN to access the US servers.
We’ve already mentioned the cost, as well as the process of setting up a VPN earlier in this guide, and following those simple instructions is enough to prepare you for any such occasion.
Free VPNs
As you might have guessed it already, free VPNs do exist. However, we advise you strongly against using them. Not only will they do a poor job when it comes to protecting you, but they might even make matters even worse.
Free VPNs don’t have a very good security, and data leaks are more than just a possibility. This means that some of your real info might leak, and the government, websites, and ISPs will eventually catch it and be able to realize who you really are, as well as what you’re doing. And that’s not even the worst part.
Free VPNs aren’t getting their money from you, which is why they’re free. That means that they needed to find some other sort of income, and they did.
Most of them have dealt with this problem by recording your searches, and selling your data to the highest bidder. Most of the time, those are advertisers.
However, with private businesses like that, you never know where else your info might end up, and who might be studying you. Which is exactly the reason why you simply shouldn’t use free VPNs.
Their paid versions might cost you $10 per month, but that’s really not such high a price, considering what you’re getting in return.
Do VPNs Support Torrenting?
The answer to this depends on your choice of VPN. Many of the VPNs do support torrenting, and their protection includes the torrent downloads as well.
However, there are also those that don’t support it and will either make it impossible or simply won’t include it in their protection.
This is why it’s a very good idea to learn all that you can about the VPN you’re about to subscribe to, and money back policies really come in handy when it comes to stuff like that.
Of course, all of the VPNs we recommended in this guide do support torrenting, and if you’re a fan of file sharing, it’s safe for you to use these VPNs. However, if you’ve decided to find one for yourself, we recommend extreme caution.
Which Is The Best Italian ISP
When it comes to Italy’s ISPs, there are many to choose from. The leading ones include BT Italia, Fastweb, Linkem, Tiscali, and Wind.
One of the most popular providers is also Alice ADSL. Any of these providers have said to be decent and useful, and so when it comes to which one you should choose from, it mostly comes to personal preference.
Blocked Websites In Italy
Blocking websites is really popular in Italy, and it’s even determined that back in 2007 over 7,000 websites were blocked.
Most of the country’s bans refer to gamble and gambling websites, but there have also been blocks, bans, and heavy censorship when it comes to TV shows as well. For example, one episode of the show called Le Iene was banned because it had a scene where Italian Parliament members used cocaine.
This is just another example of overly politicized Italian industry. They also often modify movies, cartoons, and even anime.
Social networks aren’t banned in Italy, but as we mentioned earlier, they are being monitored, and you should be careful about what you’re posting online.
Alternative Ways Of Protection
In case you were wondering, VPNs aren’t the only way that you can protect yourself online, or gain access to restricted content in Italy.
They are the best, though, but definitely not the only way. There are several methods including:
- Proxy servers
- SmartDNSs
- Proxy websites
- Tor Browser
When it comes to first three, they’re mostly used for changing your IP address so that you could access geo-restricted content.
However, they don’t provide any additional protection, and therefore they might provide you with a false sense of security.
The fact that your IP is now changed doesn’t hide what you’re doing online, and both ISPs and the government, as well as hackers, have the tech that can reveal the true IP address if they decide to focus on you and your activities.
Basically, they’re good for accessing what you can’t access by default, but not much more can be expected from these services.
Tor Browser, however, is a different story. It’s a modified version of Firefox, and it operates on its own network.
The network itself is a volunteer-based one, and when you use Tor, you basically send your data around the world. It goes from one relay to the next until you and your data can’t be connected anymore.
It then leaves the network and safely returns to you. The problem with this simple, but an ingenious process, is that it’s way too slow.
That’s why it can’t be used for streaming, downloading or doing anything else similar to these actions. It’s still a perfect, and also a completely free solution when it comes to regular browsing.
Conclusion
The Internet is more than just a hobby now. It has become a part of our lives whether we like it or not, and having your online activities constantly monitored can be a problem even if you’re not doing anything illegal.
It’s a major security breach, and nobody wants to be constantly supervised. The internet is supposed to be a free place, and it hasn’t been one in a long while. However, its users have found a way to come as close to freedom as possible, and it costs around $10 or less per month.
Don’t risk your safety, and don’t tolerate the fact that you’re spied upon.
Get a VPN and enjoy true freedom, anonymity, and security during your online sessions.
