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What is considered Non-US Web Hosting?
Non-US Web Hosting is considered any Web Hosting Provider who offers Web Hosting services outside of the United States. This type of Non-US Web Hosting is often referred to as Offshore Web Hosting.
But in this case the Offshore Web Hosting is for anyone who is a US citizen or has a US-based business and chooses to host their websites and web applications on Web Hosting Providers located outside the United States and its jurisdictions.
What’s the main advantage of Non-US Web Hosting?
Non-US web hosting can be far superior to those web hosting services based in the US. One of the main reasons for this it that US based web hosting companies will often shut down your website when they receive a DMCA takedown notice, even if it’s false or frivolous.
Your US based web hosting company will then expect you to take care of it whether the accusations are true or not. In other words, in the eyes of US based web hosts, you are guilty until proven innocent.
Whereas Non-US based Web Hosting companies offer DMCA ignored hosting and will have your back on these types of claims instead of shutting down your website and taking you offline.
Non-US based web hosting vs. US based web hosting. Know the differences!
However, as I have mentioned in a few posts on this website, just because a Web Hosting Provider advertises themselves as Non-US Hosting or Offshore Hosting, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be able to enjoy all the benefits that Offshore and Non-US Web Hosting can provide.
For example, if a Web Hosting Provider is located outside the United States, that doesn’t mean their servers that your website is hosted on are also located outside the United States.
Many times Offshore or Non-US Based Web Hosting Providers use or lease servers from data centers located in the United States in order to provide faster and cheap internet access to their clients websites.
In addition, your Non-Us Hosting Web Hosting Provider or Offshore Web Hosting Provider could be located in a country although outside the United States, may have reciprocal intelligence and jurisdictional agreements and treaties.
If these are the cases, then depending on the agreement or treaty, the US authorities may be able to access your website.
These Non-US Based Web Hosting Providers could be in countries that are part of the “5 eyes”, “9 eyes” or “14 eyes” organizations as well as a signatory of the MLAT treaty.
Finally, if you think that getting Offshore Web Hosting based in a country like Russia which has currently hostile relations with the US will put you out of reach of US authorities, think again.
Hosting your website in a country like Russia may actually put your website and you on the target for US authorities. Thus having an opposite effect of what you had intended.
So it is very important that you are careful with whom and where you host your website with.
In this post, I’m going to go over some frequently asked questions regarding non-US Based Web Hosting otherwise known as Offshore Hosting.
Can I host my US website in a Non-US country legally?
Yes, it is perfectly legal to host your US centric website in a Non-US country, even if you are a US citizen or permanent resident.
Which Non-US country’s servers are the best for Web Hosting?
In my opinion, the best Non-US country servers for Web Hosting are based in Iceland.
Not only are Iceland’s servers powered by geothermal electricity, which is the cleanest electricity known to man, but their locations are literally halfway between North America as well as Europe, the two largest developed and highly educated markets in the world.
Does it matter which Non-US country I host my website in?
Yes, it does matter. Why? Well you want to ensure if your intention is to have your website hosted outside the United States in a Non-US country that first of all, that country doesn’t have a treaty or legal agreements with the US.
I’ve briefly touched on this above regarding the “5 eyes”, “9 eyes” or “14 eyes” organizations as well as a signatory of the MLAT treaty etc.
Second, you don’t want to host your website with a Non-US Based Hosting Provider that would be located in a country that the US has hostile relations with, for example, Russia. There’s no faster and easier way to actually draw the attention of the authorities than to do so.
In addition, just because you may be out of the jurisdictions of the United States you shouldn’t get a false sense of security.
For example, if you host your website in a country like Russia, the Russian authorities have much more access to your website than the US authorities would, even if you hosted your website in the United States. The US still has rule of law and consumer protections
Besides, how confident are you that a Russian Website Hosting Provider will be in business tomorrow? How do you know that their own government won’t just take them off line, or their competitors within Russia take them offline as well?
What happens if you make a payment for your Web Hosting and they go out of business?
Good luck getting your money back. But even worse, good luck recovering your website’s files and content which may be much more valuable than any Hosting fees you may lose.
Which is the best Non-US country for Web Hosting?
Considering all the above, it’s always best to host your website with a Non-US based Hosting Provider that is not part of the agreements I have listed above.
One that is located in a first world, modern country, who support staff and customer service have some of the highest English fluency and educational levels in the world.
A Non-US Web Hosting Provider that also has rule of law as well as strong freedom of speech and privacy protections built into their constitution.
In my opinion, only one country meets these criteria and that is Iceland.
What is DMCA ignored Web Hosting?
DMCA ignored Hosting is basically Web Hosting that does not recognize DMCA takedown notices.
You see, if you have your website hosted with a US based Web Hosting Provider or their servers are US based, it’s much easier for that Web Hosting Provider to just take down either the offending content in question or take down your entire website.
Most US based Web Hosting Providers have no problems taking down your entire website and letting you deal with the DMCA takedown notice. Because if they were to leave your website up, they too could be liable for any DMCA lawsuits.
So it’s much easier for a Web Hosting Provider, based in the US, to just take down your website and let you sort out the DMCA take down notice on your own.
Many of these DMCA takedown notices are actually frivolous and have nothing to do with copyright whatsoever, but are used as a way to take down political opponents and competitors.
Hosting Providers that are US based, however, don’t really care. That’s your problem not theirs.
Though, if you’re hosting your website in a country like Iceland, they do not recognize DMCA takedown notices, unless of course your content breaks Icelandic law or the terms of your Web Hosting agreement with your Web Host.
They will of course notify you out of courtesy of any DMCA takedown notices, but they will not take down your website unless you are also breaking their terms of service.
Where can I get anonymous Non-US Web Hosting ?
Most Offshore Non-US Web Hosting Providers do offer anonymous domain name registration as well as Web Hosting.
In fact, if you were going to go through the trouble of getting an anonymous domain name registration, you might as well get the anonymous Web Hosting as well.
Because if you don’t, It kind of defeats the purpose because someone can find out who you are if your Web Hosting Provider doesn’t give you enough privacy protection included with their Web Hosting plan, which most don’t.
That’s why it’s always best to buy your anonymous domain name as well as get anonymous Web Hosting at the same Non-US based Offshore Web Hosting Provider.
Is Non-US Web Hosting cheaper than US Hosting?
You would be surprised at how cheap Non-US Web Hosting is.
In fact, you may find that not only will you get all the freedom of speech and privacy protections that I have gone through in this post as well as others, but you’ll also get excellent Web Hosting Service as well as high levels of performance for your website.
All for about the same price you may be currently paying for your US based Web Hosting.
Non-US Web Hosting FAQs and Freedom. Conclusions.
As you can see, getting a Non-US Web Hosting Provider can give you all kinds of freedom of speech and privacy protections as well as excellent service and performance that most, if not all, US Web Hosting Providers can’t.
In fact, I would say Non-US Based Offshore Web Hosting is worth it for the DMCA ignored benefits alone.
So if you’re going to get Non-US Based Web Hosting, but you want all the conveniences that US Based Web Hosting provides, including price and service, then I would seriously consider Hosting your website in Iceland, where you can enjoy the benefits of Icelandic Non-US Based Web Hosting and best of all, freedom.
