VPNs are often associated with illegal activity such as piracy, which has made many people wary of using them.
If you’ve ever been unsure whether it’s legal to use a VPN in the UK, then you’re in the right place. We’ve created this guide to explain everything, from the legalities of a VPN in the UK to how they compare in other countries.
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Are VPNs legal in the UK?
Yes, VPNs are legal to use in the UK. There are no laws in the UK that prohibit the use of a VPN.
There are many legitimate ways to use a VPN, such as adding an extra level of security and privacy for the user when browsing the web, especially when using public Wi-Fi.
If you’re looking for a VPN for such use cases, then we recommend checking out NordVPN, which is currently available from just £3.39 per month when subscribing to a 2-year plan. Using the TrustedReviews code at checkout will bag you an extra three months on top of that plan too.
It’s important to note that some countries do have stricter rules regarding VPNs, which you should be aware of before visiting on holiday. It’s currently illegal to use a VPN in countries such as China, Russia, Belarus and Iraq. And while it’s legal to use a VPN in India, the country requires each VPN provider to log user data, enabling law enforcement to potentially access the records of any user under suspicion of illegal activity.
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Is it legal to use a VPN to stream video?
There are no UK laws prohibiting the use of a VPN while using streaming services such as Netflix.
That said, using a VPN to bypass the geo-restrictions of a streaming service will likely infringe the terms and conditions you agreed to when subscribing. As a result, we wouldn’t recommend doing so.
UK laws are very different when it comes to illegally downloading copyrighted content. Many people who break piracy laws will use a VPN to do so, as it hides your IP address from third parties, making it difficult to establish your identity. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get caught.
If you are caught illegally stealing or sharing pirated content, Stuart Miller Solicitors claims that this can result in up to a £5000 fine and five-year imprisonment.
To summarise, the act of using a VPN is perfectly legal in the UK. But using a VPN to commit other crimes, such as piracy, can still land you in trouble.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
