Best VPN for Kuwait 2020: Censorship Circumvented

Kuwait is a small, oil-rich country situated between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Despite its size, and the fact that it is largely desert, there’s a lot to see, including museums and beaches. You can visit the famous Kuwait Towers or splurge at The Avenues, its largest shopping mall. If you plan on going online, though, you should use one of our best VPN for Kuwait picks to be safe.

Using a virtual private network protects you from online dangers and helps bypass restrictions to content. In this article, we’re going to look at the reasons you should use one in Kuwait.

Online Censorship in Kuwait

Censorship is rife in many countries and, unfortunately, Kuwait is one of them. The internet is filtered by both the internet service providers and the Ministry of Communications, with websites being blocked if they are critical of the government, deemed immoral or politically sensitive or seen as supporting terrorism.

Content that seems disruptive or offensive to society’s values may be banned, including material that is critical of Islam or related to other religions, pornography, LGBT issues and anything connected to tobacco, alcohol or drugs.

Voice over IP is illegal in Kuwait, so you can’t use apps such as Skype, Viber and FaceTime. Because of that, our best VPN for Skype piece may be of interest to you.

In 2008 authorities ordered ISPs to block YouTube, too, after videos deemed offensive to Muslims were uploaded. Despite this, YouTube was still accessible a week later. If you find it is blocked, though, our best VPN for YouTube might help. Several Kuwaiti legislators have called for stricter restrictions on online content, especially for websites containing blasphemous material.

The Domain Name System in Kuwait is operated by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and will not register a name that doesn’t comply with Kuwaiti laws or could be damaging to public order. Obscene words and names with foul language are barred.

Freedom of Speech Online in Kuwait

News outlets that are critical of Kuwait and Arab leaders can be blocked, much like the situation in our best VPN for Al Jazeera piece.

The media in Kuwait is among the most outspoken in countries along the Persian Gulf, but journalists still self-censor on certain topics such as the royal family and Islam. References to Islam that are considered insulting can result in a prison sentence.

One example is Bashar al-Sayegh, a Kuwaiti journalist who was arrested in 2007 after a comment insulting the emir of Kuwait was posted on his website by an anonymous user. He removed the comment several hours after it was made and the person behind it was identified and arrested days later.

Article 36 of Kuwait’s Constitution states that freedom of opinion is guaranteed as long as it is in accordance with conditions specified by law, but cybercrime legislation includes restrictive rules for speaking out online. It criminalizes certain activities which can result in imprisonment and large fines.

Many people have been arrested and even former lawmaker Abdulhameed Dashti was sentenced to 10 years in prison for making insulting comments to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, jeopardizing Kuwait’s relationship with the two kingdoms. The former MP was convicted in several similar cases and has received a total of 46 years in jail.

In 2014, 13 people were convicted of challenging the country’s ruler by reciting a speech by former lawmaker Mussallam Al Barrak, who was arrested himself in 2012 for criticizing the Kuwaiti leader. Each of the 13 people received a sentence of two years in prison.

In 2017, the government announced it was forming a committee to deal with social media users who spread rumors, attack other countries or incite sectarianism and sedition. Those proven to have committed violations would be referred to the judiciary. For your own safety, steer clear of certain topics and comments about people.

Online Surveillance in Kuwait

Internet cafe owners have to keep a record of customers’ names and IDs and submit it to the Ministry of Communication when requested. Fifty internet cafes had their licenses withdrawn by the MOC in 2002 for offering access to pornographic websites, indicating that the government is monitoring internet use at them.

In 2008, the government announced it had a new law planned for monitoring and regulating websites and blogs. Its aim was to protect public order, ensure respect for decency and to preserve the values of Kuwaiti society.

The prosecutor general said that a bill had been prepared that criminalized promoting vice, incitement against Kuwait’s leadership, giving away state secrets and insulting Islam online. Offenders would be punished with up to one year in prison, seven if the victim was a minor, and possibly fined.

In 2017, there were also reports circulating that the government had launched a new surveillance system that covered phone calls and personal accounts on social media. The Kuwaiti interior minister denied that, though.

Online Threats in Kuwait

Cyberattacks are an unfortunate risk of being connected and Raed al-Roumi, an information security and cybercrime analyst, said Kuwait is exposed to about 5,000 digital crimes per year.

Use of public WiFi is increasing and cybercrime with it. You should be careful when connecting to it as you don’t know how secure it will be. Using a VPN will help you stay safe, as well as one of our best antivirus solutions.

Best VPN for Kuwait 2020

What Makes a VPN the Best for Kuwait

VPNs have many features, but some are more important than others in certain countries. For Kuwait, security is a priority. By picking one of our best VPN providers that has great security, you can be sure that you are protected from online threats and hidden from surveillance and online policing.

It should also have a kill switch, which will disconnect you from the internet if the VPN fails, ensuring your data is kept private. Speaking of privacy, you’ll want a solid no-logs policy, too, so there’s no record of your online shenanigans.

After that, you should look for a good server network. The more servers there are, the better your chances are of unblocking content. That goes for accessing content that has been censored and bypassing geoblocks.

For example, Netflix became available to Kuwaitis in 2016, but to get the full U.S. service, you’ll need a U.S. IP address. Our best VPN for Netflix article includes services that can help with that. The same goes for accessing content restricted to Kuwait.

You’ll want one with good speeds and no bandwidth limits, too, especially if you plan to stream. Without the latter, the VPN would stop working once the cap was reached, leaving you unprotected.

Other factors you may want to consider are its ease of use and the devices it supports. If you have more than one device, you’ll also want to think about how many you need to connect at once. It’s nice to have good customer support, too, but, in the end, the price may be what finalizes your decision.

1. Best VPN for Kuwait: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN provider on the market and our winner for Kuwait. It offers an excellent, all-around service that is suitable for everybody. It’s secured with AES 256-bit by default and gives you the option to increase it if you want to. There’s also a built-in kill switch and your privacy is honored with a solid no-logs policy.

With over 3,000 servers spread across 94 countries, you should have no problem bypassing restrictions. ExpressVPN doesn’t have a server presence in Kuwait, though, so you won’t be able to access content exclusive to that country. If that is a deal-breaker, you should skip to our fourth pick, HideMyAss.

ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs around, so you’ll have no trouble loading content. Plus, it doesn’t impose bandwidth caps. Those features helped it come first in our best VPN for streaming roundup. Read our full ExpressVPN review to see why we think it’s so good.

Other Reasons We Like ExpressVPN

Installation is easy and the clients are simple to use. ExpressVPN is the perfect choice for anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing as it does almost everything for you. It’s available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. You can also download the browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari if you prefer.

Customer support is good, with 24/7 live chat and email. It’s slower than some of its rivals, but not too bad. The help is thorough and polite, too.

A drawback of ExpressVPN is its price. It’s expensive compared to competitors, but you can bring the cost down considerably by signing up for a longer period. Its price may put you off, but it is worth it. Besides, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you don’t like it.

ExpressVPN Review

Visit ExpressVPN

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is another favorite at CommQueR.com and comparable to our top choice, as you can read in our ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN throwdown. Its security is among the best and provides additional protection with double-hop encryption.

NordVPN is more customizable than ExpressVPN, so it may be more your speed if you like to tinker. It also has a kill switch and strict no-logs policy.

It has thousands of servers in 60 countries. There aren’t any in Kuwait, though. Speeds are decent, but can get slow over long distances. That said, there are no bandwidth caps to keep track of. Switching servers is easy and fast, too. Read more in our NordVPN review.

Other Reasons We Like NordVPN

Setup is easy and you can use it on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. The clients are simple to use and you can get connected in minutes.

If you run into problems, you can look at the handy knowledgebase on its website. That should help with most common problems, but if you need more assistance, you can contact customer support through live chat or email. Live chat is the fastest option, but either way works well.

As with many other providers, the monthly rate is quite high, but NordVPN offers a lot of value for your money. Plus, by signing up for a longer period, you can cut the cost down. A 30-day refund is offered, too, in case you decide it’s not for you.

NordVPN Review

Visit NordVPN

3. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is third on our list. It has great security, but is not as customizable as NordVPN. It comes with a kill switch for extra protection and doesn’t keep logs of your online activities. You can learn more about it in our full CyberGhost review.

It has thousands of servers spread across 59 countries, giving you plenty to get around blocks, but there are none in Kuwait. Its speeds are decent, but not as good as our top pick’s, and it can slow down when connecting over a long distance.

Other Reasons We Like CyberGhost

You can use CyberGhost on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and the setup is simple. Its interface was recently updated and, while it may still take some getting used to, it’s easy to see where you need to go.

Customer support is great. Your first stop is an extensive knowledgebase that should settle most common problems. You can also contact a member of support by live chat and email. The former is the fastest option, but the email support is best for more technical queries.

Its monthly price is affordable, but it makes more sense to sign up for a longer term because it’s cheaper overall. There’s a seven-day trial to make use of if you’re on Android or iOS, and there’s a money-back guarantee that covers all platforms. The monthly plan gets 14-days and longer plans get 45-days.

Cyberghost Review

Visit Cyberghost

4. HideMyAss

Though HideMyAss lands in fourth place, it’s not too bad. It has good security with AES 256-bit encryption and a built-in kill switch to keep you safe. Read our HideMyAss review for a more in-depth look at the service.

That said, not everything’s good. It says in its privacy policy that it keeps some logs, including data about when you connect and disconnect. That isn’t too bad, but it may log more detailed information if asked to by authorities and it has to retain it for 30 days.

It has over 900 servers and, while that isn’t as many as our top choices, they’re spread over a whopping 190 countries. It is the only selection on our list with servers in Kuwait, so you should pick it if viewing content restricted to that country is your priority. Its speeds will be fine for most activities and there are no limits on bandwidth.

Other Reasons We Like HideMyAss

The desktop client is available for Windows and macOS. Plus, there is a mobile app for Android and iOS. Either is easy to use.

There’s a handy knowledgebase in case you have issues. It should be enough to fix minor problems but if you have a more technical query you can contact a member of support through email or live chat. The latter is the fastest route and the staff is friendly and helpful.

HideMyAss is quite expensive at the monthly rate, but you can save money by opting for a longer plan. There is a seven-day trial, so you can make sure you like it before committing, too. Just make sure you cancel during the trial period or you’ll be billed for a 12-month subscription. Even if you drop out early, you’ll be able to use it for the full seven days.

HideMyAss Review

Visit HideMyAss

5. TorGuard

Finally, we have TorGuard, which is a good service with decent security that is highly customizable. It’s great for those who like to tweak settings, just make sure you know what you’re doing. There’s a kill switch included with the service and a strict no-logs policy.

It has plenty of servers in over 50 countries, but, like most of our other picks, there are none in Kuwait. TorGuard has trouble getting past geoblocks on some streaming services, but there is an option to buy a dedicated IP address for the location of the content. It costs extra, but it is guaranteed to work, which is why it’s our best VPN with dedicated IPs.

Speeds are okay, but they vary, and you won’t need to keep track of how much bandwidth you’re using because it’s not limited. Read our TorGuard review for more details on the service.

Other Reasons We Like TorGuard

You can install TorGuard on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and the clients are easy to use. The mobile apps can be a pain to setup, though.

Support is available in the form of online guides and forums, which should be enough to solve minor issues. Failing that, you can contact a member of staff through live chat. That said, you’ll be put through to a general customer service company, so the help may no be great. Email support is available 24/7, though, and the help is good.

The monthly price isn’t bad, but it’s better if you subscribe for a longer period. It has a seven-day money-back guarantee, too, just in case you don’t like it.

Torguard Review

Visit Torguard

Honorable Mention: PureVPN

First, we want to stress that the only reason PureVPN gets a mention here is because it has servers in Kuwait. If your activities are not sensitive and you need those servers, it could be a fair choice for you. For any other purpose, though, use one of the other options.

Its security is okay, providing that you set the encryption to 256-bit, and it has a kill switch. Its privacy policy is questionable, though, as it contradicts itself when saying it doesn’t keep logs. You can read more about that in our PureVPN review.

Still, it has a good network with over 2,000 servers in 180 countries, including some in Kuwait. Its speeds are okay and it comes with unlimited bandwidth. You can use it on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, but the interface isn’t great.

Customer service is available 24/7 through live chat and email. Though it’s not terrible, it leaves a lot to be desired. PureVPN is cheaper than most providers, though that shouldn’t be the deciding factor here, and there is a 31-day money-back guarantee. To see how the VPN stacks up, read our PureVPN vs. ExpressVPN comparison.

PureVPN Review

Visit PureVPN

Final Thoughts

You should now understand why it’s important to use a VPN in Kuwait and, hopefully, we’ve helped you find a suitable provider.

You should choose one that has great security, a built-in kill switch and a solid no-logs policy. A large server network is advantageous for bypassing blocks and you’ll need one with servers in Kuwait if you want content exclusive to the region.

We’ve named ExpressVPN the best VPN for Kuwait. It ticks all the boxes for security and privacy, has a huge network of servers to choose from and is just a great all-around service. It’s only letdown is not having servers in Kuwait. If that’s something you need, HideMyAss is the one for you, just keep in mind what you’re doing.

Let us know if you have any recommendations for using a VPN in Kuwait in the comments below. We’d love to hear them. While you’re here, why not take a look at our other VPN articles. Thank you for reading.

ExpressVPN Review

Visit ExpressVPN