The Internet is fairly open in Chile but the use of VPN is recommended, nevertheless. And this is not only for the purpose of staying hidden from the authorities who could spy on their citizens but also from the Big Tech which seemingly can’t get enough of our data. So they could turn us into products and sell us “relevant” ads… whatever that means.
In addition, with a VPN running on your devices, you get to bypass various restrictions in your school, university, workplace and elsewhere. This is especially important when visiting some high-censorship countries where access to many sites we take for granted is forbidden. We’re talking about popular social networks, major media organizations and so on.
And that’s not all, with a VPN also providing its users with an extra layer of security when accessing public Wi-Fi hotspots. Cause sooner or later, we all take advantage of free Wi-Fi networks just to check our email, post something on Facebook, watch a video, and so on.
We’ve just scratched the surface here, but I’m sure you get the point – you need a VPN and here are the best options for Chile:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
Summary
Its network includes more than 6,200 servers spread across 111 countries, which directly translates into faster speeds. NordVPN is also very secure, relying on the strong 256-bit encryption combined with secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec). But as a user, you get a seamless experience with all this technology "doing its thing" in the background.
NordVPN is well suited to pretty much every task you throw at it — whether it's accessing a banned site from some country that filters out the internet, torrenting, accessing streaming services, or just wanting to keep a low profile on the web. It also doesn't keep any logs.
We highly recommend NordVPN to anyone looking for reliable service.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
ExpressVPN has great desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and browser extensions. Also, it is well suited for video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and others.
However, what makes it stand out is its ease of use. We can't emphasize this enough. One could tell a lot of time has been spent making sure even the advanced features are easily accessible. And we love it for that. Plus, let's not forget ExpressVPN's speed which tends to leave other services in the dust.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
Furthermore, thanks to the availability of browser extensions - Hotspot Shield is also one of our top choices for Chrome and Firefox VPNs.
Your privacy is equally well protected, with the software only collecting some anonymized that help continually improve its service.
There is one caveat though - it won't work in high-censorship countries like China. If you don't need that in the first place, we highly recommend Hotspot Shield.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming and torrenting, with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
Its desktop apps are not among the prettiest ones, but they get the job done. The important thing is that installation is easy and straightforward, and that no logs are kept by the company.
When it comes to pricing, IPVanish is somewhere in the middle — it's not the most affordable option but also not the most expensive one. As noted, it will be most appreciated by heavy BitTorrent users, and — related — Kodi fans.
Online censorship is latent in Chile
Amendments to the Press Law in Chile — known as Digital Media Act — caused quite a bit of controversy over how it would affect the expression of Internet users. The problem is that in a country that has had its fair share of censorship issues, the defense of users’ freedom of expression quickly becomes an urgent necessity.
On one hand, the creators of these amendments defended it by appealing to the “spirit” of the law, which only intended to regulate traditional online media. On the other, there were organizations that noted the potential dangers of a bill that was poorly written — with negative effects towards online freedom of expression.
The problem comes from the definition of communication mediums in the current Press Law. It says that communication mediums are “those which are apt for transmitting, disseminating, broadcasting or propagating texts, sounds or images intended for the public, in a stable and regular manner, regardless of the medium or the instrument.”
The amendment aims to define what an electronic communication medium actually is and that could be a problem, with many of the news websites being designated as “newspapers” — which are then subject to the “regular” press law.
Arguably the most emblematic case is that of ElMercurioMiente.cl, a satire website aimed at the traditional conservative newspaper El Mercurio — which lost its domain name after being sued by lawyers of the owner, Agustín Edwards. They argued their case on the grounds of there being an abuse of intellectual property rights. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case in Chile.
Another case involved the governor of Santiago and former presidential candidate, Claudio Orrego, who sued a satirical Twitter user for dubiously stealing his identity — which resulted in punishment for the accused user, in the form of 80 hours of volunteer work.
Network neutrality rocks in Chile
In June 2010, the National Congress of Chile amended its telecommunications law in order to preserve network neutrality, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The law, published in August 2010, added three articles to the General Law of Telecommunications, forbidding ISPs from arbitrarily blocking, interfering with, discriminating, hindering or restricting an Internet user’s right to use, send, receive or offer any legal content, application, service or any other type of legal activity or use through the Internet. ISPs must offer Internet access in which content is not arbitrarily treated differently based on its source or ownership.
Chileans are among the most worried about their Internet privacy
The 2019 survey shows that among the most worried about internet privacy are people in Chile, Kenya, and Turkey — while Swedes seem the most relaxed.
When asked about whether they felt their internet privacy is at risk, nearly 4 in 10 Chilean respondents said they strongly agreed. Chile has the highest rate of internet penetration in Latin America but also battles a high number of cyberattacks. More than 100 million such attacks occurred in the South American nation between 2014 and 2015 and the government made a priority to create a national security strategy for data protection that was adopted in 2017.
The country’s objectives for 2022 look at “a risk management approach to preventing and reacting to incidents, including (the) protection of information infrastructure, combating cybercrime while respecting fundamental rights, building cybersecurity culture through education and accountability, cross-stakeholder cooperation and active participation in multilateral and multi-stakeholder international discussions, and promoting cybersecurity industry innovations.”
The mentioned survey was conducted in 36 countries and provided no additional explanation about Internet privacy. Overall, 21.07 percent of the survey respondents agreed strongly that their internet privacy was at risk, with men being more concerned than women. Respondents aged 18-24 rank the most concerned about their internet privacy.
To sum it up – you’ll want a good VPN for Chile, one that will have you covered in different situations including:
- Accessing content that could otherwise be restricted in your physical location.
- Preventing tracking and minimizing your digital footprint so that no one can track you online (at least not that easily).
- Avoiding throttling from your ISP – which is known to happen when you’re torrenting or accessing video streaming services.
- Bypassing firewalls in a workplace, university, school and so on.
- Bypassing censorship in places like China, North Korea, countries in the Middle East, and even Turkey and Russia.
- Securely connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots – with a VPN encrypting all the traffic coming to and from your devices.
The bottom line is – get a VPN that fits all your needs. The top contenders include the following:
