As a result of the decades-long U.S. embargo, internet access in Cuba is very restricted. On top of that, censorship practices limit freedom of expression. Out of fear for foreign infiltration (which is partly justified), Cuba’s media legislation doesn’t allow room for political dissent.
Cuba’s internet has been historically censored due to several reasons, with political issues being the leading issue.
For Cuban citizens or those visiting the island nation, the best way to get online is by using a VPN. The top 3 best Cuba VPNs are:
If you’re looking for a safe and anonymous way to access the internet in Cuba, check out NordVPN.
Below, you can learn more about censorship in Cuba and read detailed reviews of VPNs that can help you unblock websites.
Globally, the depiction of Cuba is very polarized. By free market fanatics and its associated media, Cuba is often painted as a poor, mismanaged, and even “failed” state. Yet, the reality of Cuba is more nuanced.
Despite decades of exploitation under the U.S. embargo, Cuba scores very highly on the Human Development Index, especially in comparison to other Latin American countries. Even when factoring in low GDP per capita, Cuba excels in terms of health and education, mortality rates, women’s participation, and political inclusion.
Yet, Cuba is a country of contradictions. Despite these obvious successes, Cuba faces major problems. In particular, Cuba’s online media landscape is far from advanced. Unfortunately, censorship, too, is widespread.
If you want to get around internet restrictions in Cuba, you’re going to need to use a virtual private network (VPN). In this article, we take a close look at media freedom in Cuba, the different ways you might circumvent censorship, and the best VPN for Cuba.
The U.S. Embargo Against Cuba: Censorship in Context
Since 1962, the United States has enforced an economic embargo against Cuba that includes almost all trade and exports. Internationally, this embargo is considered a major violation of humanitarian law. Since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has passed an annual resolution demanding an end to the embargo.
Impact of the U.S. embargo on Cuba’s development
The effects of the U.S. embargo on Cuba have been devastating. Restrictions against the sale of food and medication are a violation of basic human rights. In addition to economic warfare, the United States has also continuously destroyed Cuban plantations, factories, docks and ships in an attempt to destabilize the island further.
Despite these violations, Cuba shows astonishing development. The country has one of the best-developed health care systems in the world; it owns around 900 patents in the pharmaceutical industry and offers remarkable medical training to prospective doctors.
Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba was a real front-runner in developing an effective vaccine. Cuba has completely eliminated child malnutrition. Homelessness is non-existent. Utility bills, as well as costs for transport and medicine are kept low, and high-quality education is completely free. When it comes to child mortality rates, one of the most significant standard of living indicators, Cuba’s numbers are among the lowest in the entire world: 4.08 per 1,000 live births. Child mortality in the U.S. is higher.
But despite its resilience against the embargo, Cuba lags behind in certain areas, most notably telecommunications and technology.
Tech services in Cuba
Reporters Without Borders includes Cuba on its list of “Enemies of the Internet.” In comparison to other countries, the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations and internet users experience is low.
The decades-long embargo has created a lot of economic restrictions for Cuba. In part, high prices of technological infrastructure and services are the result of these exact economic sanctions.
By prohibiting U.S. phone companies to lay cables from Florida to Cuba, for example, the island has been forced to rely on more expensive satellite connections. Similarly, a lot of computer hardware used for modern internet, is owned by American companies.
While these limitations don’t excuse Cuba’s censorship or surveillance practices, it provides context for the rest of this article.
Cuba Censorship: A Closer Look At Media Freedom
In 1949, Cuba was a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to the Cuban constitution, free speech is allowed “in keeping with the objectives of socialist society.”
All news outlets and telecommunications providers are state-owned. In fact, privately-owned press are prohibited by the constitution and independent media are largely absent. The reasoning behind these censorship measures is to protect Cuba from outside forces that could destabilize the Revolution.
What does this mean for people in Cuba, both citizens and those who are visiting the island? And how realistic is the threat of destabilization and outside influence?
State-controlled media and telecommunications
The Committee to Protect Journalists has named Cuba one of the most censored countries in the world. Similar to countries like North Korea and China, full state-ownership of media outlets means that in Cuba, freedom of speech is restricted.
What does state-controlled mean? Journalists can still report on internal affairs without restrictions. Amnesty International acknowledges that “Cuba’s independent media scene is transforming,” and that independent media exist.
The issue, however, is that these outlets are still subject to government interference. Journalists operate in a murky legal environment that often forces them to self-censor. On top of that, the government has the power to regulate content or block people’s access to it.
The backbone of the internet infrastructure in Cuba is entirely controlled by two state-owned internet service providers (ISPs): The Center for Automatic Interchange of Information (CENIAI) and La Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA).
For mobile connectivity, the state has legal mandate to restrict services at will. During times of heightened political sensitivity, cell phone networks, as well as internet services, have been shut down—either by deliberate government action or as a result of strain on the underdeveloped systems.
Does Cuba have internet restrictions?
Cuba’s connection to the internet has been hindered by several factors:
- In the first place, lack of funding after the fall of the USSR made it difficult for Cuba to develop itself technologically;
- The Torricelli Act of 1992, an extension of the U.S. embargo, specified that access to the internet would be essential for Cuba’s economic development;
- Therefore, the United States deliberately delayed construction of cables and made equipment prohibitively expensive.
It took until 2019 for Cuban authorities to legalize private Wi-Fi in homes (with a permit). Around the same time, mobile data became accessible to Cubans. However, internet freedom is still restricted.
According to Freedom House, in 2021, more Cubans had access to the internet than in previous years. However, this primarily means access to the state-owned intranet. Mainly, Cubans connect to the internet via mobile phones. Despite price cuts, they are still hindered by high costs, unreliable service, and monopolistic business.
Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in Cuba
The constitution of Cuba explicitly subordinates free speech to the aims of a socialist society. As a result, freedom of expression is only guaranteed if those freedoms are not contrary to the objectives of the Revolution.
Political dissent, online or offline, can result in heavy penalties; from a few months to up to twenty years in prison. According to Freedom House, penalization for online activity has been less harsh in recent years. The Cuban government employs short term detentions rather than longer sentences.
Still, peaceful, political dissidents face various threats. Punishments include searches, confiscation of technological devices, and house arrest. Charges for legal persecution can be vague; statutes include barring “enemy propaganda,” “inciting delinquency,” and “usurpation of legal authority.”
Since 2020, at least 28 journalists and activists have been targeted and persecuted in one way or another under Decree Law 370.
Protests and demonstrations
Over the course of 2020 and 2021, various protests and demonstrations were organized in Cuba. In response, internet and cell phone services were cut during key moments.
In October 2020, messaging app Telegram was inaccessible for a period of five weeks. In November, following the San Isidro Movement of dissident artists and activists, people could not access many of their social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp were inaccessible, and mobile data connections were disrupted.
Notably, not all news covering these protests has been accurate. Online, false photos from different demonstrations were widely circulated. A 2017 photo of a Women’s March demonstration in Washington D.C., for example, was passed off as showing the Cuban protests. Content from 2011 demonstrations in 2011 was also manipulated.
Additionally, when it comes to internet shutdowns, Rest of World questions whether the Cuban government was actually responsible. They point to the fact that NetBlocks, a well-known global internet monitor, has come under scrutiny for lack of transparency in its data gathering. Most likely, the disruptions were both the result of government action as well as Cuba’s technological system failure.
As it turns out, the history and context of anti-government protests in Cuba is more complex than simply meets the eye. More about this in the next section.
Why Does Cuba Censor the Internet?
The constitution of Cuba defines the nation as a “Marxist-Leninist socialist state guided by the political ideas of Marx, Engels, and Lenin.” Since the Revolution, the Cuban government has taken an active stance in combating “counter-revolutionary activities and propaganda.”
There are several reasons Cuba censors the internet.
Limiting political dissent
Internet censorship in Cuba is primarily implemented to prevent its citizens from accessing content that is directly critical of the current government, Marxism, communism, or the Castro family.
Research by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) shows that most content censored by the Cuban government expresses criticism towards the Castro regime, either directly or indirectly. Content that promotes censorship circumvention tools — VPNs or proxies — also gets censored.
The state intranet comprises pages such as CubaDebate, a government-supported news site edited by the Cuban Journalists’ Association Against Terrorism; Reflejos, a blog hosting platform that is heavily monitored by the government, and EcuRed, an alternative to Wikipedia which aims to “create and disseminate knowledge from a decolonizing point of view.”
Certainly, propaganda and government censorship go hand in hand in Cuba. However, it’s important to consider the high levels of U.S. interference, too.
Preventing U.S. interference
As stated before, Cuba’s access to the internet has been deliberately hindered by the United States in the past. To this day, the United States actively tries to destabilize Cuba from within, which is another reason Cuba censors the internet.
To exemplify, reports show that the United States plays a key role in instigating uprisings in Cuba. Over the years, the U.S. has spent millions of dollars exploiting vulnerable youths in order to cultivate anti-government sentiment.
On top of that, multiple sources confirm that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been actively involved in funding uprisings in Cuba with the aim to destabilize the island nation, for at least a decade. Back in 2014, USAID was found to use a sophisticated cell phone program to spark demonstrations in Cuba.
Naturally, this doesn’t excuse Cuba’s internet censorship or its treatment of activists, protesters, and journalists. However, it’s important to understand that while many criticize Cuba’s attempts to keep the international world from interfering with its political affairs, Cuba’s justification is not baseless.
In recent years, diplomatic links between the Cuban and American governments have been opening up. Better internet coverage and digitization of the island nation is one of the main aims. However, Cuba’s steps towards a free, uncensored internet are slow—mainly as a result of the aforementioned violations.
What Content Does the Government of Cuba Censor?
The Cuban government mostly censors online political dissent, but other services and types of content have been targeted as well. What type of information is being censored in Cuba?
Websites
The Open Observatory of Network Interference uses open source software to map internet censorship worldwide. Between May and mid-June 2017, OONI found that 41 of 1,458 websites were blocked.
Mainly, these sites expressed criticism of the Cuban regime, covered human rights issues, or discussed different circumvention tools to bypass media censorship. According to OONI, users who try to access a website that’s blocked are redirected to a block page without any information.
This can make it difficult for people to identify whether they’re experiencing technical issues or outright censorship.
Notably, many widely used websites and applications that are often reported to be blocked are not, such as WhatsApp or Wikipedia. While messaging apps or social media platforms have experienced disruptions during politically sensitive times, they are not permanently blocked like they are in India, for example.
News outlets and human rights content
Both foreign and Cuba-run news websites are blocked, primarily those that criticize the government, the Cuban military and security forces, communism or the Castro family. In certain cases, SMS text messages that contain certain keywords have also been censored.
Human rights platforms are also occasionally blocked. Besides censorship watchdog Freedom House, the Cuban Government has also blocked access to the websites of several national human rights groups.
These include the Las Damas de Blanco, an opposition movement founded in Cuba by the wives of jailed dissidents; Hermanos Al Rescate, a Miami-based activist non-profit organization, and Fundacion Hispano Cubana, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human rights in Cuba.
Skype
Access to Skype’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is blocked in Cuba, but it should be noted that other VoIP services, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, are freely available.
On the other hand, bans are not the issue here. Skype is mainly censored by a type of technology that creates the perceived effect that Skype isn’t functioning properly. For example, you won’t be able to log in or send messages to anyone in your contact list.
This type of censorship technology often renders multimedia communication useless.
How Does Cuba Censor the Internet?
How is information controlled in Cuba? And what apps are banned in Cuba? In recent years, adoption of the internet in Cuba has grown. Still, there are several methods used to limit people’s internet access.
Deep packet inspection (DPI)
Censorship research by OONI shows that Cuban government agencies use deep packet inspection (DPI) to filter content coming through a central inspection point and block blacklisted websites.
It was noted that this only applied to the versions of sites that make use of HTTP and not the secure version, HTTPS, meaning users might gain access to restricted websites by directly accessing secure HTTPS versions of the sites.
Considering its limited technological advancement, it makes sense that Cuba uses less advanced forms of censorship than countries like Russia or Iran.
Limited internet access
Internet usage in Cuba has been restricted for a long time. Personal computers were completely banned until 2008, when the government lifted the decades-long restriction on PCs and cell phones. However, for years, the costs of owning a personal computer have remained prohibitively high for most Cubans, partly due to the U.S. embargo.
In 2019, 17% of Cuban households have a PC at home. About 53% of the population had access to a mobile phone. This is more than double the numbers from 2014.
Still, comparatively speaking, Cuba’s internet penetration rate remains low. But the government has been taking steps to improve internet access for its population. In 2019, the rate went up to 68%.
Registered internet usage
For most Cubans, accessing the internet means using government-run internet services at so-called “navigation halls” or by purchasing a “Nauta” card from ETECSA. This card gives you a registered account, complete with username, password, and email address which provides internet access at government-owned Wi-Fi hotspots.
Such accounts come with a high level of government surveillance. ETECSA may monitor account activity, keep user information for an undisclosed amount of time and may end a user’s internet access for a wide range of violations.
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is commonly practiced by Cuban internet users, in particular online journalists and commentators. This is to limit any potential harassment or persecution. Notably, journalists who work for the state media self-censor any content that could be considered politically or culturally inappropriate.
How to Bypass Cuba Internet Censorship and Free Speech Restrictions
Regardless of restrictions on internet freedom, the Cuban population continues to access content online. There are several ways to get around state censorship, including circumvention software. If you’re visiting Cuba as a tourist or journalist, you will benefit from downloading and installing a VPN for Cuba on your devices.
A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address. By rerouting your internet connection via a VPN server in a different country than Cuba, you can unblock websites and get unrestricted access to blocked sites.
Are VPNs Legal in Cuba?
There is no outright ban on VPN services in Cuba. However, anonymity and encryption technologies are legally prohibited. That is to say, encryption is only permitted once it has been authorized by the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of the Interior.
On top of that, using a VPN in Cuba is not as straightforward as it might be in other countries. In October 2020, websites of prominent VPN providers were blocked for several weeks. Additionally, Cuba’s telecommunications structure may lead to bandwidth restrictions or technical disruptions. For Cuban citizens, high costs also stand in the way.
Still, VPN services are widely used, mainly on mobile devices. To get around higher subscription costs, a good free VPN might be a solution. However, for real protection and anonymity, a premium VPN is necessary.
What Are the Best VPN Services to Use in Cuba?
If you’re looking for a way to mask your IP and surf the web anonymously, we recommend one of the following VPNs.
1. NordVPN: The best VPN for Cuba
Features
- 5,600 servers across 59 countries
- Threat Protection and Dark Web monitor
- Unblocks streaming services and banned content
The best VPN for Cuba is NordVPN. If you want unmonitored internet access, regardless of where you are in the world, NordVPN is your best choice.
This industry-leading VPN for Cuba uses 256-bit AES encryption, runs on the safest VPN protocols in the business, and is a verified no-log VPN. This means NordVPN doesn’t keep any record of your online activities. In fact, they offer one of the best security packages you can get your hands on right now.
The built-in kill switch will prevent any data from leaking through. What’s even better is that NordVPN uses obfuscation technology (Obfsproxy) that hides your VPN use. For countries that experience high levels of censorship and surveillance, this is an absolute must. VPN users can even use Double VPN for additional layers of encryption.
Using NordVPN couldn’t be easier, as they offer 24/7 customer support. The software is available on every major operating system. On top of that, this reliable VPN for Cuba has a large server network with over 5,000 servers.
If you want to avoid internet censorship with this Cuba VPN, you can make use of NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- Perfect for privacy and streaming
- Trusted by many, with over 14 million users
2. Surfshark: Budget-friendly Cuba VPN with unlimited connections
Features
- 3,200 servers across 100 countries
- Adware and malware blockers
- Double VPN feature
Surfshark is one of our favorite VPN services to recommend and the best VPN for budget-conscious users. This affordable Cuba VPN is the real deal: it offers top-notch security, excellent speeds, and is one of the most user-friendly VPNs around. More importantly, Surfshark is one of the few VPNs that offers unlimited simultaneous connections on one account.
For years, Surfshark has been making a name for itself as a verified no-log VPN that does everything in its power to keep your data safe. OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard are all supported. Surfshark also offers multiple malware and ad blockers and has an automatic kill switch. It’s a great pick for Cuba, thanks to its NoBorders mode, which is designed to get past the strictest forms of censorship, in Cuba and other countries.
What’s great about this VPN for Cuba, is that you can sign up completely anonymously with Surfshark as long as you use a secure email address. This VPN has great customer service, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and has maintained its place in our top 5 best VPNs for a long time.
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
3. CyberGhost: Excellent beginner VPN that’s great at unblocking websites
Features
- DNS leak protection
- 7,000 servers in 90 countries
- Torrenting is possible
Finally, CyberGhost is one of the best VPN services in the industry, and an excellent VPN for the first-time user. It’s easy to use, easy to install, and offers reasonably priced subscription plans. Offering a generous 45 day money back guarantee, CyberGhost allows you to try the service for more than a month before you have to commit.
This user-friendly approach doesn’t mean CyberGhost lacks functions. The provider offers special servers for streaming and torrenting. You can navigate the web freely and securely on the OpenVPN, IKEv2, or WireGuard protocols. Like its competitors, CyberGhost, too, offers 256-bit encryption.
If you’re worried about online threats, CyberGhost has got your back. Their Privacy Guard feature protects you against all forms of spyware and ransomware. You can use CyberGhost on a maximum of seven different devices at a time.
Should you run into unexpected issues while you’re in Cuba, the CyberGhost customer service is available 24/7.
- Very user-friendly
- High quality for a low price
- Torrents and Netflix possible
Access A Free and Open Internet in Cuba With a VPN
The internet landscape in Cuba is rapidly changing. After years of heavy restrictions, the media environment is slowly opening up to the outside world, though censorship is still very present.
The decades-long U.S. embargo has had devastating effects on Cuba’s technological advancement. With continued infiltration, Cuba’s strict media legislation doesn’t allow room for any political dissent. Though lengthy prison sentences have been exchanged for milder sentences, journalists are still at risk of being persecuted.
For this reason, many people are using censorship circumvention tools like VPNs to get safely online in Cuba.
If you’re visiting the island nation or you’re a Cuban citizen looking to protect yourself online, the top 3 best Cuba VPNs are:
- NordVPN (best VPN for Cuba)
- Surfshark
- CyberGhost
Keep in mind that in Cuba, internet access is still heavily curtailed. But if you have a computer and internet connection, you can access the internet unrestricted, with the help of a VPN.
While researching Cuban censorship, we found a few frequently asked questions, so here are some quick answers to what people have been asking about Cuban censorship.
The Cuban government takes measures to censor the internet because it aims to limit political dissent. Any criticism to the country’s ruling party (or family) can jeopardize the government’s position of power.
While there is no excuse for such censorship practices, it should be noted that the United States has been actively instigating anti-government uprisings in the Cuba for years. This is a grave violation to the principle of international sovereignty, one that fuels Cuba’s internet censorship further.
For decades, the United States has purposefully restricted Cuba’s technological advancement. As a result, the internet in Cuba is very flawed and costly. Effectively all media are state-owned and state-operated, though independent media have become more present in recent years.
The internet is mainly censored by the Cuban government’s use of deep packet inspection technology to filter out content that goes against the aims of the socialist Revolution.
The best way to get around internet censorship in Cuba is by using a VPN.
A virtual private network will reroute your traffic through nodes located elsewhere on the globe. As a result your IP address will be masked by the IP of a foreign VPN server. This allows you to access websites that are otherwise blocked.
Overall, the best VPN for Cuba is NordVPN, which comes with a full security package and 24/7 live customer support, in case you run into any issues.
However, if you’re looking for a more affordable VPN check out Surfshark or CyberGhost.
The constitution of Cuba makes freedom of speech subordinate to the interests of the socialist society. Free speech is only guaranteed if those freedoms are not contrary to the objectives of the Revolution.
On top of that, pretty much all media in Cuba are state-controlled, which restricts freedom of expression further. Those who go against these measures, can face heavy penalties.
