Ever since the passing of the Investigatory Powers Bill in the UK, and there has been a civil war between the government and the internet privacy advocates. Once this bill becomes a law it will allow the government to monitor and log its citizens’ internet activities and browsing history. Not only for UK citizens, but it will also give them the power to monitor anyone around the world. This means the game just got real and accordingly, UK citizens need to start seeking a good VPN service to protect their online privacy. We know that there are countless of VPN names out there, but which ones can we truly trust with this task? In order to answer this question we need to focus on the features related to privacy (privacy policy), security (level of encryption and security protocols used), and the hiding of online geo-location (servers network and displacement). According to these search criteria, we were able to filter out the best 3 VPNs for the UK.
Best VPNs for the UK
ExpressVPN
It came as no surprise that the biggest name in the VPN market would rank as one of the best VPNs for the UK. Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is packed with privacy and security features.
Level of Security
- ExpressVPN uses an SSL 256-bit military grade encryption to secure its network.
- Only the most technologically advanced security protocols are supported in the app (OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP and SSTP).
Network of Servers
- ExpressVPN has over 1000 servers in over 145 locations, spread across more than 94 countries around the world.
- This massive network provides the users with countless shared IP’s to hide online identity, helps in bypassing geo-restrictions, prevents online geo-location from unwanted parties.
Logs Policy
- Like all the big names in the industry, ExpressVPN only keeps very basic minor contact information needed for the online subscription of its users. This information is kept in the highly secured ExpressVPN servers and is not capable of giving away the online identity of the users.
- ExpressVPN does not monitor or record any online activities or browsing information of its users and does not keep logs.
No matter how technologically advance online surveillance becomes in the UK, it still will never be a match for such a strong VPN like ExpressVPN. If internet users in the UK enjoy their online privacy and can’t put a price on it, then this VPN would be a good way to go. Don’t get us wrong, even though ExpressVPN can be a bit costly, yet users will surely feel they got what they paid for.
b.VPN
UK online monitoring is no match for this, Netherlands based genius. The security measures and features in b.VPN are extremely competitive. From strategic server displacement to advanced security measures, this provider has got it all.
Level of Security
- The b.VPN network is highly secured with a 256-bit encryption.
- The app supports the strongest and most advanced security protocols (OpenVPN over SSH, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and their very own Smoke).
- Additional security features include a DNS leak protection and public Wifi protection.
Network of Servers
- The b.VPN servers are spread across more than 20 worldwide locations.
- This might seem like a competitive number, yet, like mentioned earlier, they are extremely strategically displaced that they perform with the same level as any network with hundreds or even thousands of servers.
- This network is being continuously expanded by regularly adding new servers.
- They are able to provide users with numerous shared IP’s,to completely avoid geo-location, and bypass any geo-restriction worldwide.
Logs Policy
- The only information kept very securely by b.VPN is the very basic information required to keep the users’ accounts at its best quality level (contact info, time of connection, and server connected to).
- No online activities are monitored or recorded. In other words, no logs are kept.
All in all, when it comes to online security and privacy, b.VPN is considered one of the strongest providers in the UK and all over the world. This is due to its state of the art features. It is highly recommended for UK internet users to acquire this service to stay safe, secure, and private while surfing the web.
Ivacy VPN
Started back in 2010, Ivacy VPN is known for its strong features and also its innovative capacity as it introduced technologies such as Split Tunneling into the industry which allows users to control which information goes through the ISP servers and which goes through the VPN servers. Its impressive security and privacy features made it a leading provider in the UK and the rest of the world.
Level of Security
- With a 256-bit encryption level, the ivacy VPN network is impossible to penetrate.
- All the technological advanced security protocols are supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP and IKEv2).
- Additional security features include public WiFi security, internet kill switch, Secure DNS, identity theft protection, and IPv6 leak protection.
Network of Servers
- Ivacy VPN users enjoy access to its large network consisting of over 200 servers spread across more than 100 strategic worldwide locations.
- With a large network comes a high shared IP’s availability so that users can hide their online identity within.
- A network like this can definitely prevent geo-location and bypass any geo-restriction.
Logs Policy
- Ivacy VPN has a very clear and straight forward privacy policy. The policy states that the only information kept is the contact information required to subscribe and for billing purposes.
- Any other online activities are not monitored or recorded and no logs are kept what so ever.
From online security and privacy to complete online freedom, Ivacy VPN has surely made its mark in the VPN market. It has ranked very high in several occasions and now it is highly recommended for UK internet users to protect their online activities from any unwanted surveillance.
Conclusion
If the UK started to monitor its citizens, this can lead to countless other countries following. This was considered a scary issue until the introduction of VPNs. If these VPNs can take on the challenge in the UK, then no other challenge will be able to stand in their way.
