VPNs outside of 14 eyes: All Eyes & Jurisdiction Countries Details

Have you ever thought why there are some tech lovers who get all worked up about the “Fourteen Eyes” when they are selecting a VPN? Then you are not alone in this. We have been down that rabbit hole too and let us tell you that it is quite the eye-opener. So, why not chat about some VPNs in 2024, especially those who are hanging out in Five Eyes territory. Now, you might also be thinking, “Five Eyes? What is that got to do with my Netflix binge?” Well friend, it is all about who is possibly spying at your online doings.

You see, we have been using VPNs for ages now, either for work or for fun. And boy, we have learned that not all VPNs are as private as they claim to be. It is like some of them promise you a fortress but deliver a cardboard box. 

That is why we are here. To be your guide through this VPN jungle. We will focus on those VPNs that are based in Five Eyes countries and what that means for your online privacy in 2024. And we will also focus on VPNs outside of 14 Eyes jurisdiction. So why not just dive into this fascinating world of VPNs, privacy and those pesky international spy alliances.

What is the 14 Eyes Surveillance Alliance?

A surveillance alliance is basically a partnership of countries that kind of work together and share intelligence to increase their security collectively. In these alliances there are many types of intelligence involved like signals intelligence, human intelligence and even geospatial intelligence. The main goal is to supply resources, improve monitoring capabilities and respond to global threats more successfully.

The term “Fourteen Eyes” refers to a partnership of some countries that have agreed to share intelligence with each other. This partnership is an addition of the original “Five Eyes” alliance. The main Five Eyes included the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The “Nine Eyes” and “Fourteen Eyes” are just further expansion of the network to include more countries.

Eyes Surveillance Alliance Background and History

The main concept of intelligence-sharing alliances was started in the early 20th century. Then it gained a huge boost during and after World War II. The first UKUSA Agreement was signed in 1946 between the US and UK. It was signed mainly to share signals intelligence in opposition to the Soviet threat during the Cold War​.

During the Cold War, there was a need for Western countries to unite in opposition to the Soviet Union, which then led to the expansion of the UKUSA Agreement. It eventually formed the original Five Eyes alliance. And then, after the Cold War, it focused on new threats, which included terrorism, cyber threats, and other geopolitical instability. This shift required cooperation from other countries, which then led to the formation of the Nine Eyes and later on the Fourteen Eyes alliances​.

Five Eyes (FVEY)

• Members: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
• Origins: The Five Eyes alliance began from the UKUSA Agreement.
• Purpose: To share signals intelligence (SIGINT) mainly focused on monitoring and sharing information related to military, political and diplomatic activities.

Nine Eyes

• Members: Five Eyes countries plus Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
• Purpose: A little expanded version of the Five Eyes with a focus on wide intelligence-sharing activities.

Fourteen Eyes

• Members: Nine Eyes countries plus Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
• Purpose: An even wider network for intelligence-sharing to cover a wide range of information and security activities.

Key Agencies in 14 Eyes Alliance Jurisdiction

Each member country has their own intelligence agencies that are participating in the 14 eyes surveillance alliance. Let us tell you about some agencies that are involved:

• United States: National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• United Kingdom: Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
• Canada: Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
• Australia: Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)
• New Zealand: Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS)
• Other Members: Similar intelligence agencies from Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden.

Objectives of the Fourteen Eyes Alliance

The main objective of the 14 Eyes surveillance alliance is to increase global security through the complete sharing of intelligence among member countries. This intelligence-sharing network is focused to collect, analyze and distribute information which is related to national security threats. Threats including terrorism, cyber threats and geopolitical risks. Following are some of the key objectives:

Intelligence Sharing

The primary goal of the 14 Eyes is to share intelligence which is gathered by member nations. This cooperation allows for the stacking of resources and information. As it enables more successful monitoring and response to global security threats. 

Enhanced Surveillance Capabilities

By collaborating they can cover a very big geographic area and monitor a wider range of communications. This expanded surveillance ability helps them to identify and distribute threats more successfully than any single country could get alone​​.

Counter-Terrorism

One of the main focuses of the alliance is to oppose terrorism. The members share information about terrorist activities, movements and their plans to prevent attacks and destroy terrorist networks. This objective has been particularly spotlighted after 9/11 and during the rise of global terrorist organizations​.

Cybersecurity

The alliance is increasingly focused on cybersecurity threats too. Members collaborate to monitor and answer to cyber attacks, sharing information on cyber threats, weaknesses and attack methods. This collaboration is important in defending against state-sponsored cyber spying and criminal cyber activities​​.

Geopolitical Intelligence

The 14 Eyes also focuses on geopolitical information to monitor the activities of foreign governments and international actors. It also includes the tracking of military developments, political communications and economic activities that could impact global stability​.

Activities of the Fourteen Eyes Alliance

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)

This demand for catching electronic communications such as phone calls, emails and internet traffic. Projects like ECHELON, PRISM and Tempora are key tools that are used to gather SIGINT. These programs collect data on a massive scale. Mostly without the knowledge of the ones who are being monitored​.

Human Intelligence (HUMINT)

HUMINT activities involve collecting information through human sources. Including spying, questioning and other undercover operations. This type of intelligence is important for understanding the intentions and plans of possible enemies.

Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)

This involves the collection and analysis of satellite vision and other geographic data. GEOINT is used to monitor military movements, infrastructure developments and other activities of interest around the world​.

Cyber Intelligence

The alliance manages large cyber intelligence operations to detect and counter cyber threats. This includes monitoring cyber activities, identifying potential cyber attack plans and sharing information about weakness and protecting measures​.

Privacy and Surveillance Concerns

The Fourteen Eyes alliance has introduced some privacy and surveillance concerns. As it has its big reach and abilities in information gathering. Let us tell you some main issues:

Mass Surveillance

The 14 Eyes Surveillance Alliance is known for its mass surveillance programs. It collects a very big amount of electronic communications, including emails, phone calls, internet browsing history and much more. These surveillance activities are not limited to only high-profile targets but they mostly involve the random collection of data from ordinary citizens. This raises remarkable concerns about privacy violations and the possible misuse of information​ that is collected.

Legal and Ethical Issues

One of the most under discussion aspects of the 14 Eyes alliance is the ability of member countries to request surveillance on each other’s citizens to bypass the privacy laws. For example, the UK’s GCHQ can request the US NSA to spy on UK citizens. The operations of the 14 Eyes alliance are mostly covered. This lack of transparency makes it very difficult to assess the full size of surveillance activities and to make sure that they are conducted within legal and ethical boundaries.

Impact on Privacy and Anonymity

Member countries have strict data retention laws that force ISPs and other tech companies to store your data, which can be accessed by intelligence agencies under specific circumstances. This damages the promises of privacy and anonymity made by these companies to you.

Public and Legal Reactions

Confessions by collaborators like Edward Snowden have brought greater public awareness and surveys to the activities of the 14 Eyes Alliance. Snowden’s leaks showed the area of mass surveillance and the ways in which intelligence agencies bypass domestic laws to spy on their citizens.

In response to these concerns, there have been increasing calls for stronger data privacy laws and greater oversight of intelligence agencies. Defense groups and privacy experts argue for more transparent and accountable surveillance practices to protect individual rights and freedoms​.

Protect Your Privacy Under 14 Eyes Alliance Jurisdiction

As you are aware of the huge surveillance abilities of the 14 Eyes alliance. Now maintaining your privacy on the internet can be very challenging. You need a combination of the best practices and the use of tools with a focus on privacy. Below we are telling you some strategies that you can utilize. Thing you should do are to:

Use a Trustworthy VPN

Go for the VPN providers which are based in privacy friendly areas and that VPNs outside of 14 Eyes jurisdiction. Like ExpressVPN (British Virgin Islands) or NordVPN (Panama). Also make sure that your provider has a solid no-logs policy which means they do not keep any records of what you do online. Using a VPN with powerful encryption standards is very good for securing your internet traffic.
Get NordVPN to ensure your privacy in Panama.

Secure Your Communications

Use end-to-end encrypted messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp to make sure that your communications are also private and they cannot be seen by any third parties. Also use email providers that are based outside of the 14 eyes surveillance alliance.

Use Secure Browsers and Search Engines

Using browsers like Tor Browser or Brave is a good move too because they prioritize your privacy and offer you features to block trackers and ads. Also they do not track any of your searches. Few are DuckDuckGo or Startpage.

Implement Strong Security Practices

You should activate 2FA on all of your online accounts. This adds another layer of security for you. And also use different passwords for different accounts and to manage all of those accounts you need to have a password manager. It can generate creative and unique passwords for each of your accounts and on top of that it also stores them for you.

Limit Data Sharing

Be cautious about the private data that you share on social media platforms. They are monitored too. You should limit what you share. Not only that you should also regularly review and change the privacy settings on your social accounts.

Be Cautious with Public Wi-Fi

And whenever possible should always avoid using public Wi-Fi. Because they are insecure and it is very possible that some are eavesdropping on you or see what you do while you are connected to them. Guide to using Public Wi-Fi safely.

Monitor and Manage Digital Footprints

Check yourself out of data broker lists to reduce the amount of private data that is available about you on the internet. Also regularly search for your personal information on online platforms to see what information of yours is available to the public and if possible take steps to remove it.

VPNs inside of 14 Eyes Alliance Jurisdiction 

If you are thinking of choosing VPNs that fall under the 14 eyes surveillance alliance, it is important to know that these providers are subject to the surveillance laws and data retention policies. They are answerable to the countries they are based in.

VPNs in Fourteen Eyes Countries

Here are some of the well-known VPNs that are based in the 14 Eyes Alliance jurisdiction:

United States

• Private Internet Access (PIA)
• IPVanish
• Hotspot Shield
• StrongVPN

United Kingdom

• ZoogVPN
• HideMyAss (HMA)
• SaferVPN

Canada

• TunnelBear
• Windscribe

Australia

• VPNSecure
• Celo VPN

New Zealand

• My Private Network

Germany

• ZenMate
• Avira Phantom

France

• VPN.ac

Considerations for Using VPNs in 14 Eyes Countries

There are some things that you should consider when you use VPNs that are in 14 eyes alliance jurisdiction. You should know about:

Data Retention Laws: Providers in these countries might be legally required to keep your data and then share it with the government authorities if they request it.

Surveillance Laws: These VPNs are subject to the surveillance laws of their countries, which may allow for large-scale monitoring of what you do.

No-Logs Policy: And even if a VPN claims to have a no-logs policy it is very important to check this through separate analysis and reviews. And in some cases, VPN providers may still be forced to collect and provide your data under some specific conditions. 

Examples of Compliance Cases

IPVanish

In 2016, IPVanish was a provider based in the US. They were found to have logged and provided user data to law enforcement in spite of them saying to have a strong no-logs policy​​.

HideMyAss (HMA)

In 2011, HMA which is a VPN provider and they are based in the UK. They handed over logs that then led to the arrest of a hacker who was involved in the LulzSec group. This case also highlighted the impact of UK data retention laws on the privacy of users​.

VPNs Outside of 14 Eyes Alliance Jurisdiction

Using VPNs that are based outside the 14 eyes surveillance alliance can give you more privacy and security. As these VPN providers are located in countries with stronger privacy laws and much fewer legal tasks to keep and share your data. Here are some reputable VPNs that fall into this category:

NordVPN

Jurisdiction 

• Panama

Features

• No-Logs Policy: It is verified through unrelated analysis.
• Large Server Network: We have 6,400 servers in 111 nations.
• Strong Encryption: It uses AES-256 encryption.
• Double VPN: It routes your traffic through two different VPN servers for more security.
• CyberSec: It is a built-in feature to block ads and other malware.
• Streaming Access: It is very effective at unblocking streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
• Device Compatibility: It is available on all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.

Benefits

• Privacy-Friendly Jurisdiction: As Panama does not force any data retention, it is great for privacy.
• Advanced Security Features: It includes double VPN, Onion over VPN, and CyberSec, which give more security.
• Wide Server Selection: Very big network making sure of good performance and options for you. 

ExpressVPN

Jurisdiction 

• British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Features

• No-Logs Policy: Verified through unrelated analysis to make sure no logs of your activity are kept.
• High-Speed Servers: We have over 3,000 servers in 105 nations to provide you with fast and very reliable connections.
• Strong Encryption: It uses AES-256 encryption with perfect forward privateness.
• TrustedServer Technology: Has RAM-only servers that wipe all data when they are rebooted.
• Streaming Access: Unblocks almost all major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer.
• Device Compatibility: Supports a very big range of devices which includes Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux and routers as well.

Benefits

• Privacy-Friendly Jurisdiction: BVI has no data retention laws.
• Excellent Performance: Frequently high speed and very reliable connections.
• Comprehensive Security Features: Strong encryption, no-logs policy and cutting-edge server technology.

Surfshark

Jurisdiction

• British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Features

• No-Logs Policy: They keep no log of your activity or your connections.
• Unlimited Devices: you can connect to an unlimited number of devices at the same time.
• Strong Encryption: It uses AES-256-GCM encryption.
• MultiHop: It uses the Double VPN feature to increase security.
• CleanWeb: Blocks ads, trackers and even malware.
• Streaming Access: This can unlock many popular streaming services for you.
• Device Compatibility: Supports many platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and even Linux.

Benefits

• Affordable Pricing: very cost-effective plans with unlimited connections.
• Comprehensive Privacy Protections: Includes ad-blocking and malware protection.
• User-Friendly: Very easy to use with a clean interface and very wide device support.

ProtonVPN

Jurisdiction 

• Switzerland

Features

• No-Logs Policy: They do not keep any log of your activity and it is protected by Swiss privacy laws.
• Secure Core: It routes your traffic through very privacy-friendly countries before it reaches exit nodes.
• Strong Encryption: uses AES-256 encryption standard.
• Streaming Access: You can unblock many streaming services for you.
• High Security: It was built by the team who was behind ProtonMail, to make sure you get strong security measures.
• Device Compatibility: It is available on all major platforms.

Benefits

• Strong Privacy Protections: Switzerland has very strong privacy laws and it is outside of the 14 eyes alliance jurisdiction.
• Advanced Security Features: Uses Secure Core for extra protection.
• Transparent and Trustworthy: Developed by a very reputable privacy-focused company.

VyprVPN

Jurisdiction

• Switzerland

Features

• No-Logs Policy: It is verified through unrelated analysis to confirm for no logging.
• Chameleon Protocol: It helps to bypass any VPN blocking and deep packet inspection.
• Strong Encryption: It uses an AES-256 encryption algorithm.
• Streaming Access: It can unlock many popular streaming services.
• Owns and Operates Servers: Makes sure that you get better security and performance.
• Device Compatibility: It supports many platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux as well.

Benefits

• Reliable Performance: Good speed and connectivity due to owning its servers.
• Bypass Restrictions: Very effective at avoiding censorship and other VPN blocks.

Privacy-Focused: Strong legal protections in Switzerland and no-log practices.

Latest Developments in the 14 Eyes Alliance

The 14 eyes surveillance alliance continues to evolve specially because of the latest advancements in the tech world and other security challenges around the globe. Here are some of the latest developments in 14 eyes surveillance alliance that are happening, they:

Expanded Surveillance Programs

ECHELON System was first a part of the Five Eyes and now that has grown to include all of the Fourteen Eyes members. This program takes on all global electronic communications which includes phone calls, emails and other internet traffic.

On top of that, there is the PRISM Program, which was managed by the NSA. PRISM gathers data from all major internet companies like Google, Microsoft and even Apple. It has faced disapproval for its very big reach and collaboration with all these tech giants to avoid encryption​.

Technological and Cybersecurity Initiatives

The alliance has increased their collaboration on cybersecurity. Now, they are focusing on facing cyber threats from state and non-state actors, too. This includes the struggle to monitor and reduce cyberattacks from countries like China and North Korea.

There is also an ongoing debate and pressure within the alliance. The pressure is to implement backdoors in encryption technologies to help law enforcement and intelligence operations. No matter the concerns over user privacy and their data security​.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line 

The 14 Eyes surveillance alliance is a very powerful network of countries that collaborate on information sharing to increase global security. While its activities can give national and international safety, but they also pose a significant risk to your privacy. We have taken quite the journey through the world of VPNs outside of 14 eyes jurisdiction, haven’t we? It is like we have been on a digital rollercoaster.

The online privacy game in 2024 is trickier than ever. From our adventures in VPN-land, we have discovered some of the most privacy-friendly VPNs outside of 14 Eyes Club. These VPNs are often the best at keeping your online doings under wraps.

But at the end of the day, the choice is yours. Maybe you are cool with a Five Eyes VPN or perhaps you want to go full incognito with an offshore option. Just remember to look for those key features which are strong encryption, a solid no-logs policy and a track record that is squeaky clean.

As we sail through this brave new digital world, staying informed is your best defense. Keep your eyes open, your wits sharp and your data secure. Stay safe out there, friend.