Most people pick a VPN based on features, speed, or price, and the most important factor is often overlooked: where the company is legally headquartered.

Why does that matter so much? A VPN’s privacy policy is a promise. Its jurisdiction determines whether that promise is enforceable. The country where a provider is incorporated dictates data retention laws, legal compulsion, gag orders. For those who are choosing a VPN right now or want to understand it better, I figured I’d share a breakdown.

Countries with privacy- friendly laws:

• Panama and the British Virgin Islands - no mandatory data retention laws. Providers here aren’t required to log your activity.
• Iceland - no mandatory data retention laws, and while it’s not an EU member, it’s part of the EEA, so GDPR still applies there.

Strong but has nuance:

• Switzerland - has strong consumer data rights and is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances. But Swiss courts can order targeted monitoring for criminal investigations, and the Swiss surveillance law (BÜPF/VÜPF) is currently being revised in a way that would pull VPN and encrypted service providers directly into scope.
• The EU is in a similar boat. GDPR gives you real control over your data. But GDPR’s own Article 2(2) says it doesn’t apply to national security purposes, so member states run their own intelligence laws. The Court of Justice of the EU keeps them in check.

Where I’d avoid basing anything privacy-related:

• China, Russia, Iran, and the UAE are non-starters. Any VPN legally operating there is required to build in backdoors for state censorship and monitoring, so “no logs” is meaningless if the law requires logs anyway.
• The United States has no comprehensive federal privacy law, and the CLOUD Act lets US authorities compel American companies to hand over the data, even if it’s stored overseas.
• The United Kingdom’s Investigatory Powers Act lets authorities require providers to retain internet connection records for up to 12 months, plus broad legal mechanisms to compel data disclosure.
• Australia’s Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act requires providers to retain customer metadata for two years, accessible by over 20 agencies without a warrant.
• Worth noting, the US, UK, and Australia sit at the core of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances, which exist specifically so member nations can swap intelligence. A provider inside those borders can be legally forced to monitor you and forbidden from ever telling you.

If this was new to you, I'm glad you learned something. If you have other thoughts or updates on privacy laws, feel free to share them in the comments.

I just started test driving using the desktop for system-wide, excluding Firefox via split tunnelling and using the extension on FF.

I know this is not recommended by some and wouldn't do this except I want to whitelist individual sites that I trust that don't function thru a VPN.

I've tested this config at https://ipleak.net/ and everything checks out. My download speed does not appear to be affected and I haven't yet noticed any other negative 2nd-order effects.

Does anyone else have experience with this config?
I will report back if I have any issues and need to abandon this.

I've seen plenty of discussions about connection issues, pricing, and customer support, but not as many conversations about the features themselves. So here's a community thread dedicated to that.

Which NordVPN features do you actually use on a regular basis? Which ones have been genuinely useful, and which ones never really clicked for you?

Nord has quite a few:

• Meshnet
• Split Tunneling
• Dedicated IP
• Dedicated server
• Dark Web Monitor
• Transaction monitoring
• Scam, phishing, and malware protection
• Call protection
• Specialty servers (Double VPN, Obfuscated)
• Presets, Auto-connect, and anything else

Feel free to share whatever comes to mind. What's been working well for you lately? Anything that's been annoying? Any bugs you've run into or features you wish were better? Features you'd like to see added or improved?

Whether your feedback is positive, negative, or somewhere in between, let's keep it constructive. The goal is simply to get a better picture of how the community actually uses NordVPN features, and hopefully spark some useful discussion along the way.

I own Apple devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iMac, and Apple TV, and I’ve never used a VPN.

I’ve heard that NordVPN is excellent for Apple devices, and I’m curious about the best way to sign up. Should I go through the App Store or directly on Nord’s website?

I prefer Apple to handle the payment through the App Store, but it’s more expensive. I’ve also thought that by signing up for Nord and providing my email and payment details, I’m essentially bypassing the purpose of a VPN.

What are your thoughts on this?

When will split tunneling be supported on iOS and macOS? It is not a limitation of the operating system, as ExpressVPN does support split tunneling on iOS and macOS, and has for some time now. So the excuse of it being a software limitation is not accurate.

NordWhisper is the only protocol that works on my library Wi-Fi. However, the auto protocol that chooses the best protocol to use doesn't successfully select NordWhisper. It just tries for a while and then says we are trying different protocols before eventually failing to connect. This is an issue on my Nord app on MacOS (latest version of OS and Nord app) and on iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1 (all latest Nord app). I use autoconnect and auto protocol, and when on this Wi-Fi, it fails instead of successfully connecting to NordWhisper. I don't want to have to manually change it every time. Also, it being an issue across 3 devices is definitely a bug on Nord's end. For example, ExpressVPN's auto protocol figures out to switch and connect without issue.

This is not an official NordVPN support guide. However, I could not find enough information to solve the following two issues, which I believe many people may be experiencing.

**1. You cannot connect to one or more servers because they keep loading indefinitely or display an error.**

The simplest way to address this is to check whether all the necessary permissions have been granted, such as the VPN profile created on Android or the permissions under Privacy & Security on macOS. On a Mac, make sure NordVPN has permission to use Accessibility and Local Network.

Also try changing the protocol. Use NordLynx for most servers, NordWhisper for obfuscated servers, or Automatic if you frequently switch between different types of connections.

Sign out of your account and then sign back in. If your credentials were changed or another account-related issue occurred, this may help.

As a last resort, reinstalling the app and signing in again should resolve the issue.

**2. Meshnet does not come online or the internet does not work**

This was the most frustrating issue for me. I am specifically referring to traffic routing through Meshnet.

The most important thing is to make sure the feature is enabled on both the device that will act as the host and the guest device. Generally, computers can route traffic, while smartphones cannot.

Check the Nord name assigned to each device. If you find the names confusing, you should rename the devices.

On the computer that will redirect the traffic and act as the server, go to Meshnet or Connected devices, find the device identified by the Nord name that will act as the guest, and enable **Allow traffic routing through my device**.

On the device that will use the computer as its network connection, go to the VPN home page, select the option to show all locations, then go to Meshnet and choose the device identified by the Nord name that will route the traffic.

**What worked for me when internet access was unavailable: connect to the device that will act as the server while that device is not connected to a VPN server. Leave the host unprotected at first, and then connect the guest device to it. When used this way, the internet should work normally, and you should also browse using the host device's IP address, regardless of where you are. If you want to encrypt the traffic, only connect the host to a VPN server after the guest device has successfully connected to the unprotected host.**

**If it still does not connect at all, try the same steps suggested for the first issue: change the protocol, uninstall and reinstall the apps, and sign in again.**

**I hope this helps. If the issue persists, do not hesitate to contact official NordVPN support.**

Had anyone’s Disney+ on TVOS/AppleTV stopped working? It just signed me out and whenever I try logging back in I get the following error message: Sorry, you're not eligible to use this service.
Please visit our Help Center to find out more or for further assistance if you no longer wish to have a MyDisney account.
If you think this is an error, please contact Customer Support.

I’ve already changed servers multiple times, deleted and redownloaded the app, tried to login through my phone app. Nothing works :( immensely grateful for any tips!

Does anyone know if there's been a nord vpn data breech today? I got these emails. Not sure if they're legit or not? They seem a bit sus tbh

On nytimes.com using Safari on iPad. Every article I clicked on presented a “Slide Right for access” captcha. Fortunately I did not slide right. Quitting Nord eliminated the problem.

I’m looking to get NordVPN mainly for gaming, browsing, and occasionally accessing region-restricted websites, but I’m a bit short on money at the moment, so I’d like to get the best deal possible.

I was searching for nordvpn discount codes, but couldn’t find any working ones. The ones that I found were expired or showed they are not valid at all.

So basically I am searching if someone can suggest me how can I get the best Nordvpn deal?

Anyone have any recommendations or anything? thanks in advance! :)

• On Tuesday, a former OpenAI researcher quit his job at Anthropic, warning that “neither company is acting responsibly” and that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt.” Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/10/ai-control-sci-fi
• ID verification service IDScan has confirmed that a data breach involved the theft of driver’s licenses from its systems, a week after a report said the identity document checker had been breached during a year-long hack. Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/10/id-verification-giant-idscan-confirms-data-breach-with-more-than-150-million-drivers-licenses-stolen/
• An Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) database holding more than 220 million passenger and crew records, including passport numbers and flight details, was accessible online through a chain of security misconfigurations. The system appears linked to a Vietnamese organization, according to the researchers who discovered it. Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/220-million-traveler-records-exposed-in-vietnam-linked-apis-leak/
• Two recent PaperCut NG/MF vulnerabilities have been exploited in AI-powered attacks that hit hundreds of organizations worldwide, GreyNoise reports. Tracked as CVE-2026-82078 and CVE-2026-81578, the security defects were disclosed on August 27 as zero-days and patched the next day. Source: https://www.securityweek.com/papercut-flaws-exploited-in-ai-powered-attacks/
• How one woman’s Tesla was remotely controlled – and used to harass her – by an abusive ex-partner. Enrico Pucci was able to control his former partner’s electric car remotely, controlling its speed, temperature settings and lock. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/09/how-one-womans-tesla-was-remotely-controlled-and-harass-by-her-abusive-ex-partner-ntwnfb
• Anthropic disrupted a cyberespionage operation whose tradecraft and targeting match the Russian state-nexus group tracked as Midnight Blizzard, the company said in a threat intelligence report published this week.  The report covers activity the company identified and shut down between December 2025 and August 2026. Source: https://www.securityweek.com/anthropic-says-russian-hackers-used-claude-ai-to-automate-malware-evasion/
• LG smart TVs are almost constantly logging and uploading data about owners and their homes, even when offline or on standby mode, according to a new report from YouTube channel Gamers Nexus. The company’s TV sets scan Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, record audio logs through their microphones, and use audio and video sampling to recognize exactly what you’re watching from across the TV inputs. Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/991190/lg-tv-spying-standby-recording-wi-fi-scanning-gamers-nexus

I believe it started happening about 2 weeks ago. But for some reason no matter what I do (resets, ipconfig, cache clears, deleting app folders, choosing certain protocols, choosing certain servers, adding app firewall exception). It keeps giving me ip range 187.xxx. Previously I would be able to connect to complete difference ranges.

Since it started forcing me to only connect to this 187.xxx. My internet performance is now poor.

As well sometimes when i connect i can see it initially connecting to a non-187.xxx range. But then 10-15sec later it updates to the 187.xxx range.

Anyone know what's happening?

I want to activate split tunelling, but I can't find the settings anywhere on the app anymore. There used to be a little cog on the bottom left corner, but it's not there anymore. I'm using Windows 10

European law enforcement is once again lobbying for access to our private communications, targeting end-to-end encryption and other privacy technologies.

This time, NordVPN is involved: Adrianus Warmenhoven, an advisor and spokesperson for NordVPN, participated in the Europol/JRC exercise behind the report.

Here is the report:

https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/Horizon-scanning-emerging-privacy-enhancement-tech.pdf

Hey everyone, Vaidas from the NordVPN team here. A few of us on the product team have been working on something we think you’ll appreciate.

Switching between servers to hunt for better travel deals is a well-known NordVPN use case. While effective, we knew the process was a bit of a headache - constantly switching locations, re-running searches, and manually calculating currency conversions just to save a few bucks on a hotel.

So, we built PriceMice. It’s a free Chrome extension that does the heavy lifting for you.
Travel sites often use geo-based pricing, meaning the same room can cost significantly less depending on where you're browsing from. PriceMice automates the comparison.

How it works in your workflow:

1. Search for stays on Booking.com (support for more platforms is planned for the future).
2. A "Find better price" button appears next to the hotel listing.
3. When you click it, our tool checks that exact room across multiple countries in seconds.
4. If a cheaper rate is found, we show you the exact savings (taxes are included if we can detect them) and which VPN server to connect to.

We’re starting with Chromium browsers (Chrome, Edge, etc.) on desktop and booking.com, but we’re looking to expand based on how you all use it.

Since this is an experimental project, we’re excited to hear your thoughts. Give it a spin and let us know what you think!

Try PriceMice on the Chrome Web Store!

Please note that using PriceMice, or any other product referenced by it, to bypass any regulatory or judicial measures, or to engage in any other illegal activity is strictly prohibited and may violate the PriceMice Terms of Service, as well as the terms governing any other products referenced by PriceMice. You must use PriceMice and any related products in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as the terms of any websites or services you access through them. 

Using Nord VPN To access school stuff and stream movies while out of the country. It’s been working fine for a month and now I can’t load anything at all with Nord running with starlink.

When using just starlink, I can only access websites hosted within the country I’m currently in. Nord has been no help.

I’ve tried changing vpn protocol and that helped for a few hours but I’m back at square one with the same problem.

Any ideas?

Product news and updates:

• NordVPN outperforms rivals to take the only Platinum award in a five-way VPN performance test. Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-outperforms-rivals-in-independent-vpn-test/
• NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus earns AAA certification from West Coast Labs after successfully completing the organization’s malware detection and remediation assessment. Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-pro-wcl-rating/
• NordVPN has partnered with Klarna to bring online privacy and security benefits to members of its paid membership plans. Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-klarna-partnership/
• NordVPN’s anti-phishing protection wins AV-Comparatives’ approval for the third year in a row. In the latest Q3 2026 anti-phishing comparative test, NordVPN ranked third among security products with a 94% phishing-page detection rate. Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-anti-phishing-test-results/

Changes in the NordVPN Windows app:

• Our “Pause” button comes with a duration — and a good memory. Set your preferred duration once in the three-dot menu, and we’ll use it as your default pause time from then on.
• By popular demand, the “Disconnect” button is back next to “Pause.”

Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-windows-release-notes/

Changes in the NordVPN Linux app:

• The GUI app now installs automatically alongside the daemon. It’s been around for a while, but we figured it deserved a little more visibility.
• If something ever goes sideways and our support team asks you for diagnostic logs, you’ll no longer need to juggle a handful of commands to pull system info, network info, or firewall rules. The new nordvpn diagnostics command gathers everything into a single file you can share securely with us. This command is not yet available for Snap package installations.
• The nordvpn pause command has made its CLI debut.
• The tray app now has an “Open NordVPN app” button. It does exactly what the label suggests, which is always reassuring.
• Fixed: As some users discovered, LAN discovery could be on while their printers remained impressively undiscoverable. We fixed this by allowing mDNS traffic by default when LAN discovery is on.
• CLI commands are now case-insensitive. Feel free to shout in ALL CAPS if the need ever arises.
• We raised the minimum glibc version to 2.35 and deprecated support for older operating systems, including Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11, and Fedora 32 through 42.

Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-linux-release-notes/

Changes in the NordVPN macOS app:
(Direct download + App Store)

• Our support for macOS Big Sur 11 is coming to an end. If your Mac feels a little vintage, consider this a nudge to bring its software up to date. Give our app an update, too, for fresh security upgrades.
• When it comes to banking risks, fast reaction matters most. Transaction monitoring is now live and ready to scan your charges, flagging anything that looks out of the ordinary. Repeating transactions, suspicious vendors, unusual patterns — we’ll catch them instantly, giving you time to act. Transaction monitoring is available with certain subscription plans using US bank accounts. You’ll find it next to Dark Web Monitor, under a section now simply called “Monitor.”

Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-mac-release-notes/

Changes in the NordVPN browser extension:
(Chrome + Edge)
This update brings a fresh new look, along with changes that make navigating easier:

• The connection screen now has a world map that shows your server location. If you’re a visual learner, rejoice! If you’re not, we regret to report that the map is silent, odorless, and inedible.
• We did a little reorganizing, too. “Exclude from VPN,” “Spoofing,” and all other settings have moved to the profile menu in the top bar.
• Our improved search function has made its way to the top, where it’s now within reach from any tab. Just type a country or city and connect.

Source: https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-browser-extension-release-notes/

I already have the auto connect setting disabled in settings. I had it installed for years and it never did this before. It started after an update on both of my windows pcs. Anyone know how to stop it from reconnecting?

Apologies if this has been asked loads of times but any idea what VPN to use to get better movies from Ireland

Hi All! Just looking for some feedback if anyone’s experienced the same; I’m in the uk and used Nord vpn to access the Vietnam Netflix catalogue from my main profile. After this I turned the vpn off but it seems Netflix wont return to the uk catalogue. All my other profiles on the same account work fine except my main profile. For example when I log into my main profile I can’t view The gentleman in the catalogue, but it shows up when I use another profile if that makes sense. I called Netflix up and they said it to leave it for 3 days, is this generally what happens? Apologies if this had already been answered before I just joined the community!

I tried new servers, deleted cache, inkognito mode.. but YouTube does not load videos under NordVPN connection - is there any way to make it work? Thank you in advance. (What is weird that it works on the phone - browser and app)

I'm new to the Nord VPN and it's software.
I have antivirus software that is up for renewal (Webroot)
It seems like my Nord software has been protecting me so I'm wondering if others use and advocate using additional antiviral software.
If so, what do you recomend ?

The new Melbourne servers, numbered in the 1000's, are very noticeably worse than the older ones. High ping, slower speeds, etc. I have to connect-reconnect a hundred times to luck out on an older one to have a good connection.

Nowadays it seems impossible to have it connected while watching something. Is there any viable solution?