Virtual private networks are beneficial when you travel abroad and need to access Netflix and local streaming sites that require specific IP addresses, like your bank account. VPN provides an added layer of safety and security that can help keep your information safe when using the internet. VPNs allow residents of repressive regimes to bypass efforts to censor information and regulate the internet.
Virtual private networks may invoke images of illegal activities and mysterious figures on the dark web. In reality, virtual private network services are legal to use in many regions, including the US. Some virtual private networks encrypt your connection to the internet, disguise your IP address, and prevent others like the internet service providers or government from tracking your virtual location.
There are many reasons to want this degree of privacy, but you should know what is considered legal and illegal while using a virtual private network. However, before you jump on to your favorite reliable virtual private network, you should ask yourself: are VPN services legal in this country?
If the response is no, you could have difficulty if the virtual private network is not as protected as you think. You should completely know VPN services legality to avoid the harsh implications of breaking internet censorship laws.
- Legal Uses for VPNs
- Where are VPNs illegal?
- Can You Legally Use a VPN Service in the US?
- Can you be Fined for Using a VPN?
- How Do VPNs Work?
- Your Rights Around Virtual Private Networks
- Is Using a VPN Necessary?
- What could happen if you use a Virtual Private Network illegally?
- Is it Permissible to use a VPN service to access blocked content?
- Why People Use VPNs Legally?
- Is streaming with a VPN illegal?
- Best legal VPN services
Legal Uses for VPNs
Because some regrettably use virtual private network services for illegal matters, many people are under the impression that VPN services are not allowed. However, this is far from the truth. There are many legal uses of a virtual private network that it overweighs the negatives. TechNinjaPro will let you know some of the most common and popular benefits of a virtual private network:
- Many government agencies and businesses use VPN services to secure their workplace. It is essential for them to add an extra layer of safety and security to protect their sensitive information, which otherwise would render the unprofitable or result in a severe loss of intellectual property. For example, employees cannot directly access their workstations from home but instead use a virtual private network complemented with RSA technology to ensure their data remains secure.
- People who are concerned with their privacy and security use virtual private network services to remain anonymous and save themselves from the snooping eyes of the government and your internet service providers. Some reporters and authors write about sensitive and bold topics. Using a virtual private network protects them from retaliation, and hence comes personal safety and security. Most people do not want search engines to track their search history and serve them targeted ads. Using a virtual private network makes sure that your IP address remains secure, and search engines cannot identify the actual person behind the VPN.
- Using a public network is considered dangerous in terms of the security of your personal information. Public wifi networks should generally be used to surf the web and never for doing secured transactions. It is effortless to snoop, hack, or contaminate your connection with malware. Using a virtual private network to tunnel all your information over a secured network will protect you when using an unsecured wifi setup.
- If you use voice-over-internet protocol, you must understand that it has become relatively easy to spy on such communication. You should use a virtual private network if you are concerned about the transmission being monitored by someone.
- You can use virtual private networks to bypass the restriction. For example, you can use streaming platforms including Netflix or Hulu outside the United States or access any other service meant for a particular region.
Where are VPNs illegal?
Every region has a different stand on virtual private networks, and not all see them as favorable. Currently, many governments either regulate or outright ban VPN services. Those now include China, Iraq, Belarus, North Korea, Oman, Russia, and the UAE, to name a few. Still, others impose internet censorship laws which makes using a virtual private network risky.
Depending on the region, governments may impose fines on residents and VPN providers for using an unsanctioned virtual private network. Additionally, law varying country to country, rules in the US can vary state by state. In some countries, businesses and banks are free to use virtual private networks. Generally, governments justify these decisions as stop criminal and terrorist activity.
Using a VPN service is perfectly legal in many countries, including the US but all countries. A VPN protects your safety and privacy but does not excuse or hide you from being reprimanded by the law for theft, unlawful purchases, or any other crime as dictated by the region you are in.
Can You Legally Use a VPN Service in the US?
Yes, no laws are prohibiting or restricting the use of virtual private networks in the US. It is legal to use virtual private network services in many other countries worldwide, including Australia, Europe, and the UK. Even though VPN services have suffered from a poor reputation in the past due to being used for suspicious activities, there are a host of important reasons why people would select to use a virtual private network, from accessing content on streaming sites not available in their region, to protect themselves when using the public network.
It is worth remembering that virtual private networks are not legal everywhere. There are being banned in certain countries particularly those with more restrictive reputation. If you are looking for a VPN, check out our blog on the best VPN services in 2021.
Can you be Fined for Using a VPN?
Unless you live in a region or country where virtual private networks are banned or restricted, you will not face a fine for using a VPN service. However, in the US and other countries where virtual private networks are allowed, you could face prosecution for any illegal activities you do while using a VPN service.
Using a virtual private network may not offer you any protection in illegal cases, either, many VPN services, including those that claim not to keep any logs and retain some data about their users and may reserve the right to offer this and any other relevant data to ISPs or authorities, if requested.
If you are using a VPN in a region or country where they are legal for legal activities, then you have nothing to be concerned about. However, if you are in a country where VPN services are illegal, and you are found out, then yes, you could be prosecuted or fined.
How Do VPNs Work?
Virtual private network services send a user’s system IP address and web traffic through an encrypted tunnel before reaching the internet. This stops internet service providers and hackers from tracking their online activity. Some VPN services even encrypt their users’ IP addresses and other information twice or more, a multi-hop encryption process. Once the user connects to a virtual private network, it will replace the system IP address with another one to mask their location, which may seem to sites that the user is in a different country.
Your Rights Around Virtual Private Networks
Your rights depend on various factors, including the terms of service provided by the VPN service you are using, the country where you are using VPN, and the terms and conditions of any VPN services you access while using a VPN. Before you sign up with a virtual private network, check its terms of service and privacy policy to make sure you are happy with them.
Most VPN services will clarify that carrying out illegal activities is not allowed and that users must assume all liability for any unlawful behavior. You will usually find a clause stating that any suspected fraudulent or illegal activity may be referred to proper law enforcement authorities.
It is essential to read the terms and conditions of any service you are using. For example, Netflix’s terms of use state that you may view the Netflix content mainly within the country where you have created your account and only in geographic locations where they provide their service and have licensed such content.
Basically, this means that if you are using a VPN to access streaming websites like Netflix from within a country where the service does not currently operate, you are effectively in breach of contract. Netflix reserves the right to end or restrict your use of its service if you are engaged in fraudulent use of the service.
Before traveling abroad, always ensure whether or not VPN services are legal in the country you are visiting. If you are traveling to a region or country where virtual private network services are illegal or restricted, you will have to disable any VPN services on your devices.
Is Using a VPN Necessary?
Depending on what you want to do online, a virtual private network may or may not be important. For example, if you are on your protected network and simply need to watch your country’s Netflix library, then a VPN service would not be of much use. However, if you are on a public network, want to watch another country’s Netflix library, or do not want your ISPs to know your online activity, yes, VPN services are necessary. Eventually, it is a personal choice; a virtual private network is the simplest technique if you want privacy and safety online.
What could happen if you use a Virtual Private Network illegally?
While committing copyright infringements is illegal in most countries, lots of people do it anyway. Some people figure that they are unlikely to see consequences for their victimless crime. The same mindset can apply to using virtual private networks where they are prohibited. Some regions enforce restrictions on VPN usage like other internet censorship laws. Using a virtual private network illegally could land you in jail, or there might be no punishment at all. Regardless, it is not generally a perfect idea to break the law, even if you consider the law immoral.
If a country blocks virtual private network applications, it is a safe supposition that they have the means to enforce this band. Attempting to use a virtual private network is risky in any of these countries. Even in countries where VPN services are not explicitly banned, like Russia or China, police occasionally demand that visitors and residents remove virtual private network applications from their devices. This might not carry a direct penalty, but it does discourage people from using VPN services.
Is it Permissible to use a VPN service to access blocked content?
It all depends on the laws. You might need to use a virtual private network to access blocked content. If you are getting around geo-blocked content on your work or school network, you are possibly not going to face a legal penalty. That said, you might be penalized in some way by your school or employer. In most countries, geo-blocked content generally falls into one of two categories:
- Geo-restricted content
- Illegal content is blocked by the government using technical means.
Accessing content under the first category using a virtual private network is permissible while accessing illegal content is still illegal. However, if you access blocked content with a virtual private network, there may be consequences for canceled subscriptions.
Why People Use VPNs Legally?
There are various legal reasons why people use virtual private network services, such as:
- General security
- General privacy
- Protection from public internet networks
- Improved security during online shopping
- Streaming content from other countries’ servers
- Hiding internet activity from Google, governments, and internet service providers
Is streaming with a VPN illegal?
No, one of the common uses of a virtual private network is accessing region-restricted content from other countries. Some TV shows and movies are locked to particular countries. A virtual private network can bypass these restrictions so that you can watch your favorite shows or movies from anywhere in the world.
Best legal VPN services
There are a variety of VPN services, but TechNinjaPro has listed the most premium VPN among the top picks for 2021. Here is the list of our recommendations:
Frequently Asked Questions
If your internet connection is encrypted, even law enforcement agencies cannot decipher it. However, law enforcement agencies can contact your internet service provider and ask for your connection logs; they get your VPN and ask for their records. If your VPN provider is trustworthy, the VPN provider will have nothing to give them.
No, it is not prohibited to access Netflix using a virtual private network, provided, of course, that you live in a region where VPN services are legal. However, Netflix may disapprove and could potentially revoke your account if you do anything it deems outside its terms of service.
Yes. A virtual private network routes your internet traffic through a secure server, which means that the website you visit when using your virtual private network cannot see your IP address, and therefore cannot identify you.
Maybe. Your internet service provider could see that you are accessing a secure server, but from here, the trail will run cold, and it would not have any idea of what you are using it for and anything that happens after your connection hits that secure server.
Conclusion
Virtual private network services are a powerful technology that can be used for both bad and good. As a result, their permissible status can be a bit confusing. Every country has different regulations on the use of virtual private network services. In most of the world, common uses for VPN services are above board. However, it pays to confirm any geo-restrictions in your particular country before doing anything potentially questionable.