If you’re in Ireland and want to download torrent files, you can become a copyright infringement victim. The country has strict internet laws and censorship, and thus you can’t access the free internet. But if you want, then using a VPN is the solution for you. The article informs you about the best VPN for Ireland. Read the article and protect your privacy with a VPN in Ireland. Ireland’s privacy policies differ from other countries.
The citizens experience restrictions as the data regulations are misleading. Many things happen behind closed doors, and the users remain unaware of it. According to the Reporters without Borders 2016 index, Ireland ranked on the 9th most liberal country. But, the country does face censorship and restricted information access. To know more about the VPNs to use in Ireland, let’s dive into this article.
Data Retention Laws and Internet Censorship in Ireland
The Irish citizens have the fundamental right to freedom of expression under the constitution. They have the right to express their opinions and thoughts in a way they want. But, still, the country has censorship laws that limit the freedom of expression in various circumstances. Like in other EU countries, the ISPs in Ireland also block access to specific streaming sites like the US Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu. Other blocked sites include The Pirate Bay, EZTV, Limetorrents, and Putlocker.
Moreover, you can’t even download torrent files because of the stringent copyright laws. The ISPs track your online activities. If they caught you either streaming the blocked content or downloading any copyrighted content, the user would receive a warning twice. If the person continues to download torrents, the ISP can cancel their contract for a lifetime. Ireland was among the two countries other than Poland where the concerned authorities can access the phone data without having the Court Order. The Irish Supreme Court turned around the decision now, which might not be the case anymore. At present, there are no specific data retention laws in Ireland.
The social media companies have their policies and are not controlled by the State for any shared content. The Irish Government is particular about children’s safety and protection. In January 2020, the Government passed an Online Safety Bill that focuses on improving children’s online safety. Whatever restrictions the Irish people face while surfing the web can get finished if they start using a reliable VPN provider.
Why Is There a Need to Use a VPN in Ireland?
Everyone needs to protect their digital privacy with a VPN. If you are in Ireland, you face geo-blocks and cyber threats, increasing the demand for a VPN. Several other reasons contribute towards using the best VPN for Ireland. Ireland is among those countries where the Government and other official authorities respect individuals’ right to freedom of expression. But you never know how the legislation changes. A recent court hearing instructed the ISPs to block the sites that give access to copyrighted content.
What if you are downloading the content for entertainment purposes and not distributing it anywhere? Here a VPN comes into play. With a VPN, you can bypass any such restrictions. You can download torrent files and even access the geo-blocked content on Netflix and other streaming services. Furthermore, to avoid the Irish authorities’ surveillance, a VPN is the most effective tool you can rely on.
Access the Blocked Accounts in Ireland
If you are an Irish national, you travel quite often for work purposes, so it might not be easy for you to access your online account back at home. You’d be blocked from using your credit/debit card and other financial services. Some companies might even limit access to Irish IP addresses to prevent identity fraud. Although it is a good decision, it might not work in most instances.
People might get frustrated as they can’t make transactions. But, if they use the best VPN for Ireland, they can live the movement. A VPN replaces the IP address with the one given by the VPN provider. When you connect with a VPN, you’re using it from your home country. As a result, you can check and make any transaction regardless of your location.
Stream TV Shows and Movies from Ireland
Popular streaming services like Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and HBO depend on location shuffling. These streaming sites allow accessing the content after examining your IP address. If your region is not on their list, you can’t watch their video content. If you are in Ireland and want to watch the cricket series between Australia and South Africa taking place in Australia, you can’t watch them. Similarly, if you’re outside Ireland, you won’t stream the Ireland TV shows.
The best VPN for Ireland encrypts your data traffic and permits you to circumvent all such geographical restrictions. When the data traffic undergoes the encryption process, it becomes secure and unreadable. Nobody can recognize your activities, and you surf the web with complete anonymity. Thus, a VPN bypasses regional restrictions and makes accessing live TV, sports events, TV shows, and movies easy.
Prevent Foreign Government Surveillance
If you are a tech-savvy person, you’d know about the five-eye, nine-eye, and fourteen-eye surveillance group. After Edward Snowden’s event in 2013, the powerful countries collaborated with NSA and allies to monitor and share their users’ data. The most popular tech giant Microsoft was also a part of the surveillance program with most US service providers and the Government. The US was the hub of this group. The Prism Program allowed NSA to breach user privacy and access their data on different platforms.
If you’re using Google, Facebook, or even Twitter, NSA can always get hold of your activities. The official has a right to collect the user’s sensitive information like the IP address, search history, live chats, content of messages, and emails. It was a clear violation of the users’ online privacy. The collected data ended up on the Microsoft servers. It means that if you use Windows 10, then it might be digging and storing your data without your consent. By now, you might be thinking that this can impact you if you are in Ireland? Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the US intelligence agencies like NSA have the right to collect user data from EU countries.
Hence, again despite having less internet censorship in Ireland, your online privacy would always be at risk. But, with a VPN, you can boost your online protection and prevent any such act from storing your data.
Factors to Look For in the Best VPN for Ireland
When it comes to maintaining robust security and online protection, you can’t use any random VPN. The same thing goes when you use a VPN in Ireland. Consider the following mentioned factors while you choose the best VPN for Ireland:
- Make sure that the VPN offers robust encryption and security.
- It should have security-boosting features like a kill switch, VPN leak protection, double VPN, and a port forwarding feature.
- The VPN should follow a strict zero-log policy.
- The service provider should support torrenting and must have optimized P2P servers.
- Do check that the VPN you select should unblock streaming content from a variety of streaming channels.
Steps to Use a VPN in Ireland
If you’re using a VPN for the first time, you won’t know how to use it. You may have seen set up tutorials and read setup guides on different websites, but still, you can’t set it up. Setting a VPN is not as problematic as people think. It is easy if you stick to the correct steps. The following mentioned below are easy steps to set up a VPN in Ireland.
- Subscribe to one of the best VPNs for Ireland from the list mentioned above.
- Download and install the VPN on your device.
- Launch the VPN app and log into your VPN account.
- Choose a VPN server outside Ireland if you want to access any foreign content. Like if you’re going to stream content on Netflix, then pick any US server. If you’re going to use a VPN to increase your online security in Ireland, select a server within Ireland.
- Click to connect. It’ll take a few seconds, and then you can enjoy a secure browsing experience with a VPN.
Are VPNs Legal in Ireland?
Yes, you can use a VPN in Ireland, and it is legal until you won’t get involved in any illegal activity. The Irish laws and the higher authorities won’t stop you from any service. But if they found that you’re doing any unlawful activity like downloading the copyrighted content for distribution, you can face legal consequences. It is permitted to use a VPN in Ireland to safeguard your digital privacy. Choose any of the above-mentioned best VPNs for Ireland and protect your online activities from ISPs and all other snooping eyes.
A VPN designed for beginners
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Final Thoughts
By now, you’d know how important it is to get an Irish IP address by now. Getting an Irish IP address is not at all challenging. You need to subscribe to a reliable VPN for Ireland. We recommend you follow our guide for the best VPN for Ireland and enhance your security and privacy, whether you live or travel to Ireland.