Argentina is widely considered to have a “free” internet, but in practice, that’s not always the case. To enjoy a truly free internet, you need a VPN while in Argentina.
That’s because in Argentina, your privacy faces multiple threats: hackers, websites, network admins and even the government.
Here are the top 10 reasons why using a VPN in Argentina is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Top 10 Reasons Why You Need a VPN While in Argentina
1. Argentina Has Been Purchasing Advanced Surveillance Tech
To find out Argentina’s plans for surveilling its citizens, look no further than its budget.
In 2019, Argentina spent nearly $30 million USD on surveillance technology from Chinese tech firm ZTE.
The Argentinian government clearly plans to monitor its citizens with this tech. But it’s also likely that the software contains backdoors that would allow the Chinese government to monitor Argentinians, too.
And this isn’t the first time Argentina has gone shopping for surveillance tech. It’s also purchased spy software from German tech companies in the past.
Your best bet at avoiding this invasive software is using a VPN. Its advanced encryption makes even the most sophisticated surveillance methods virtually useless.
2. Argentina Has Taken a Worrying Stance on Censorship
Censorship is spreading around the world, and Argentina is one of the latest countries to fall victim to it.
The National Anti-Discrimination Act requires all websites to monitor for and delete user comments that are “discriminatory.”
But the act defines “discriminatory content” so loosely that it could apply to almost anything. It includes both violent and non-violent content — effectively criminalizing statements of opinion that the government disagrees with.
This is likely only the first step that Argentina is taking towards normalizing censorship — and full website bans could be next. Should that future come to light, you’ll need a VPN to continue accessing banned websites.
For over a decade, Argentina kept its involvement in international affairs to a minimum. It didn’t participate in intelligence sharing with other countries and generally minded its own business.
But that’s changed with the rise of its new government. Now Argentina has begun sharing intelligence with one of the world’s worst privacy invaders: the US.
The two countries have started out by swapping financial information involving suspected drug smugglers and mob groups. But there’s no telling what other, more secretive, more invasive intelligence is exchanging hands, especially given the US’s history of internet surveillance.
To keep your data out of other countries’ hands, encrypt your internet traffic with a VPN. No government has the computing power necessary to decrypt VPN data.
4. You Could Face Jail Time for Your Online Activity
Argentina’s war on “discriminatory content” can have devastating consequences on anyone who violates it.
Anyone who assists or promotes the spread of discriminatory content online faces a jail sentence of up to three years. And since the law doesn’t provide a solid definition of “discriminatory content,” you might not even know that you’ve posted any until you’re in handcuffs.
That’s why it’s so important to use a VPN in Argentina. It reduces the government’s ability to monitor what you post online and makes it harder for authorities to track you down if they don’t like your content.
Additionally, the government has censored online apps.
On April 22, 2016, Uber was prohibited from operating in Buenos Aires, and the company’s app was blocked temporarily.
Connecting through a VPN will enable unfiltered access to websites and web services like Uber if blocked again in the future.
5. A VPN Helps You Torrent Securely and Safely
If you rely on torrents for your entertainment, be warned: despite the fact that Argentina generally turns a blind eye to torrenters, you could still get in trouble.
That’s because copyright trolls monitor torrent peerlists and record the IP addresses of downloaders. Then they use the IPs to track people down and attempt to extort them for thousands of dollars.
It’s a headache to deal with, but you don’t have to worry about it if you mask your IP with a VPN.
6. You Can Stream Anything You Want with a VPN
Or maybe you’re more of a streamer than a torrenter when it comes to media. If so, you may be disappointed by the small streaming libraries available to Argentinians on Netflix, Hulu and other sites.
Geo-restrictions mean that some countries get larger libraries than others. But with a VPN, you don’t need to catch a flight to access them — just connect to a server in another country and unlock new content!
7. VPNs Let You Unblock Websites at Work
You can’t blame your boss for taking work seriously, but when that seriousness extends to blocking websites on work WiFi, it’s natural to feel annoyed.
Not to mention the fact that many perfectly innocent and even helpful websites frequently get caught in blacklists along with not-so-professional ones!
But you can unblock all websites on work WiFi simply by using a VPN. Its encryption prevents WiFi filters from working properly, so you’ll be able to view any site you want.
8. Public WiFi Is Much Safer with a VPN
Using public WiFi without a VPN is a recipe for disaster. Opportunistic hackers lie in wait on WiFi hotspots, using many different tricks to steal your data, transmit malware and generally ruin your digital life.
But no hacker on Earth is a match for a VPN’s military-grade encryption. Your data will be utterly useless to anyone who intercepts it, which means that you can use public WiFi in peace.
9. VPNs Help You Avoid Location-Based Price Gouging
If you’re tired of sticker shock when trying to book airline tickets or hotel rooms online, we’ve got good news for you. Many sites show you different prices for the same things based on your IP address location.
And that means that getting better prices can be as easy as connecting to a different VPN server. The price difference between countries can total hundreds of dollars, so don’t click “buy” without a VPN!
10. A VPN Reduces the Effectiveness of Web Trackers
Web trackers follow you around the internet, logging everything you do and tying it together using your IP address. That data is then sold to the highest bidder — and you have no say in any part of it.
Unless, of course, you change your IP with a VPN. Those pesky profiteers won’t be able to track you if you never use the same IP twice!
It should come as no surprise that Argentina, a modern and first world country, has a strong reputation for internet freedom.
The following stat best illustrates this ‐ 93% of the country’s 44 million people have unrestricted access to the internet. This ensures that all major news publications and social media platforms contribute to the public’s discourse, offering a plethora of channels for free and vigorous debate.
