While this makes it appear a great country. Things are actually different in reality. If you are a visitor or live there, there is just as much a need to use a VPN as in any other country.
The Dutch population are quickly becoming one of the most monitored countries, and this means their online activities are being watched, and user data is being retained.
For this reason, we have compiled a list of the top 5 best Netherlands VPN services.
Best VPN’s for the Netherlands
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN delivers military-grade security, so any person in the Netherlands is safe that their user data is catered for.
They are based in the British Virgin Islands, so; they are under no jurisdiction or under any 14-eyes jurisdiction.
The VPN service has a strict zero-logging policy, and use OpenVPN, 256-bit AES encryption, SmartDNS and the perfect forwarding secrecy.
With DNS leak protection, a kill switch and is very easy to use. It is the ideal VPN for any tech-savvy person or novice to use.
There is lots of device support, which includes Windows, Mac OS, Android and iOS, Smart TV’s, Chrome and Firefox extensions, among others.
ExpressVPN now supports 5 simultaneous connections. For streaming and torrenting, this classy VPN shows its merits.
It can bypass any Netflix blocks as well as any other streaming service like BBC iPlayer.
Torrenting and P2P use the fastest DNS server Netherlands users can use for fast downloads while keeping them safe.
Pros
Cons
With servers running in Ram mode, it is the best Holland VPN for streaming and torrenting.
2. NordVPN
This is the second best Dutch VPN users can choose. It delivers top-class encryption and privacy while using OpenVPN over TCP and 256-bit AES encryption.
It has TOR over VPN for extra security and a double-hop feature.
It comfortably unblocks the top streaming services like Netflix and iPlayer. It allows six connections and runs on lots of devices like Windows, Android and iOS, Mac and many more.
With 5648 servers in 60 countries, there is a large influx in the Netherlands with 209. With torrenting and P2P allowed on certain servers, it is a secure option for downloaders.
Pros
Cons
NordVPN is one of the most security and privacy-focused VPN’s there is.
3. CyberGhost
Cyberhost is a crowd favourite because of the ease of use. It has 100 servers in the Netherlands out of its 3,700.
It keeps users safe and secure by using OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec among its protocols with AES 256-bit encryption.
Streaming Netflix and other services is a one-click affair just like for P2P and torrenting where you are connected to the best server.
CyberGhost offers seven simultaneous connections and runs on Windows, Android and iOS, Mac OS and Linux, among others. It is based outside of 14-eyes jurisdiction and maintains a zero-logging policy.
Pros
Cons
CyberGhost is the best VPN for new users who want security.
4. Surfshark
A new VPN to the market that delivers many features. It uses OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec and IKEv2 along with AES256-bit encryption. It has a multi-hop feature and its CleanWeb adblocker.
This VPN is based outside any 14-eyes jurisdiction, so it’s zero logging means it doesn’t need to hand anything to anyone.
It passes by any Netflix and iPlayer restrictions and is also a decent option for P2P and torrenting.
Torrenting is re-routed to Canada or Netherlands. The network is still small with 800 servers, but it delivers good speeds for streaming or downloading.
Device support includes Windows, Mac OS, Android and iOS, Smart TV’s and many others, and comes with unlimited connections.
Pros
Cons
Surfshark VPN was one of the first to offer unlimited device connections per account.
5. GooseVPN
This is another VPN, which offers unlimited connections and an attractive price. Device support includes Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, and an extension for Chrome. It offers 24/7 live chat, as well as a one-month free trial.
Security-wise, they claim zero logging and use OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP with high levels of encryption.
Once you get to streaming, this VPN can unblock Netflix, but it can’t unblock the BBC iPlayer, which is strange because it is just a short distance away.
GooseVPN supports 26 countries, but there are no hard figures for the number of servers. The majority are located in Europe and divided between streaming servers or P2P servers.
Pros
Cons
GooseVPN delivers the longest free trial of any VPN service.
Are VPN’s Legal in the Netherlands?
Although The Netherlands are known for internet freedom and their strong laws on privacy. It is legal to use VPN’s in The Netherlands, hence GooseVPN being based there among some others.
Users should be aware that internet freedom only covers things, which are not illegal, as you will soon see.
Why You Need a VPN for the Netherlands
While some VPN’s redirect users to Netherlands servers for downloading torrents, it may be seen this practice is legal.
At one stage, it was legal to download copyrighted content. There were restrictions on this, yet these were not enforced, so torrenting did appear to be a free for all.
In 2014, the EU Court of Justice spoke up and determined the local Dutch law as unlawful. Now with the efforts of BREIN and the blocking of The Pirate Bay, there is a tough approach to piracy in the Netherlands.
BREIN the Dutch anti-piracy group took down over 200+ piracy sites in 2017. Adding to this, it was stated there would be large fines to further prevent this piracy.
Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) The Netherlands privacy watchdog allowed Dutch Filmworks permission to collect the Netherland IP address of any Dutch downloader or anyone caught torrenting.
On a lighter note, a VPN is useful for bypassing geo-restrictions for streaming services. The BBC isn’t far away in the UK, so a VPN can bypass the geo-restrictions so the Dutch population can watch the BBC.
The same goes for other streaming services. Dutch Netflix will have a smaller library than the UK one and the American Netflix. With a VPN, there is the option to access both.
How About a Free VPN for the Netherlands?
If The Netherlands were seen as the best downloading country, then you would think a free VPN would suffice. These are actually a risk in using unless you have a free trial like GooseVPN.
Most “Free Forever” VPN’s are limited in features or have limited data caps. Aside from this, many are used as a means of harvesting user data for marketing purposes. I
It is the best way for them to catch every user’s data as it passes through their servers. Tracking cookies will be inserted, so those who are supposed to keep you private are more invasive.
A free VPN Nederland users could use can’t unblock streaming services reliably, and if they could, there is no way you would have enough bandwidth to watch more than a couple of full episodes.
WIV in the Netherlands
Nowadays, things have changed from how they used to be. The Dutch population are among some of the most wiretapped population in Europe.
This gives the General Intelligence and Security Service (Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst or AIVD) and the MIVD plenty of calls to listen to.
Because of the lax way these work, things were not in place correctly, so if they were tapping into one person, it could mean everyone in the street was under surveillance.
Adding to this was a new law, which went to be called “Sleepwet” by opposition to the law. This allowed security services to gather any information they wanted in a huge internet log search. This law was due to come into effect in May of this year.
This is harsh enough, yet The Netherlands is a part of the 14-eyes jurisdiction. What their central agency finds will be shared with thirteen other countries around the world. One other piece of legislation came out of the Dutch senate.
Even more, power was given to intelligence services. They can tap into public Wi-Fi hotspots and chat apps as well as hacking into devices even if you are suspected of knowing a person they have surveillance on.
Finally
Being part of the 14-eyes jurisdiction, the Netherlands is catching up with swapping intelligence and
retaining data.
Even without users consent, the internet is being restricted, and the country which was built around freedom of speech is being strangled.
Internet users can find a large amount of information about them being collected, even if they do nothing illegal. This data will be retained, yet the law for this was overturned. All this meant was, it isn’t compulsory for ISP’s to retain user data.
Because of the government powers, they don’t need to because the intelligence agency is doing it themselves.
