There isn't one single country with the absolute least surveillance, but countries consistently ranking high for digital freedom and privacy include Iceland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark, and Norway, often due to strong legal protections and low reported filtering/monitoring, contrasting sharply with countries like China or Russia known for extensive surveillance. Rankings vary by report, but Nordic nations, Switzerland, and New Zealand generally offer strong safeguards against mass surveillance.
The best countries for online privacy: an investigation (x-post r/privacy)
Freedom House Index: countries with the highest internet freedom 2025. In 2025, Iceland was the worldwide leader in terms of internet freedom. The country ranked first with 94 index points in the Freedom House Index, where each country received a numerical score from 100 (the freest) to 0 (the least free).
China maintains the largest and most sophisticated mass surveillance system in the world. It is primarily conducted through the government, although corporate surveillance in connection with the CCP and Chinese government also has been reported.
Iceland consistently ranks as the country with the lowest crime rate and highest level of peacefulness, leading the Global Peace Index for many years due to its strong community, low gun violence (police don't carry guns), and high social welfare, followed by other small, stable European nations like Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
New Zealand is a relatively safe travel destination but we are not crime free. It is important you take the same precautions to look after yourself and your possessions as you would at home. Here is some specific information to help make your stay in our country safe and enjoyable.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in 2022, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark and Austria.
China. China leads the world with over 200 million CCTV cameras. Its extensive surveillance network covers cities, streets, and public spaces.
The 10 most surveilled cities in the world
As it has been since 2019, Switzerland was the freest country in the world, followed by New Zealand (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Luxembourg (4th), Ireland (5th), Finland (6th), Australia, Iceland and Sweden (tied at 7th), and Estonia. Canada was in 11th place and the United States and United Kingdom were tied at 17th.
Internet access is highly restricted in countries under Communist Party rule-North Korea, Vietnam, China, and Cuba.
The countries that took the top 10 places, in order, were Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia and Sweden (tied at 5), Iceland, Luxembourg, Finland, and Norway.
The good news is that there is almost no way to track live, encrypted VPN traffic. Law enforcement can only obtain data, if available, about websites visited and so on. Otherwise, hackers and snooping government agencies are generally blocked by the fact that the data is encrypted.
Extradition is the legal process of transferring a person accused or convicted of a crime to another country for prosecution. The US has extradition treaties with over 116 countries, but some countries like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are notable exceptions.
China maintains the largest and most sophisticated mass surveillance system in the world. It is primarily conducted through the government, although corporate surveillance in connection with the CCP and Chinese government also has been reported.
This includes the city with the least amount of CCTV cameras watching its residents and visitors: Reykjavik, Iceland. Reykjavik is home to just 40 surveillance cameras in it's 106 square miles. Nairobi, Kenya has a similarly small number of surveillance cameras.
China is considered the undisputed leader in CCTV surveillance with four times more CCTV cameras than the USA. China has around 200 million CCTV cameras, followed by the USA's 50 million and Germany's 5.2 million.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), USA
This is the Civilian Foreign Intelligence Service of the Federal Government of the USA. Motto: Gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily using human intelligence.
What security systems do rich people use? Wealthy homeowners often opt for extensively customized systems from top providers like Vivint, ADT, and Frontpoint. Components get tailored to specifically suit their property's layout and protection needs.
London, England, has the most CCTV cameras per km2 outside of Asia: 399.27/km2. New York has the highest density of CCTV cameras installed in the US: 25.97/km2. Beijing in China has the most cameras (1.15M) but is ranked #10 for density (277.51/km2).
New Zealand is the most peaceful Country in terms of safety and security.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the #1 safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI), a position it has held for over a decade due to extremely low crime, no standing army, high social cohesion, and minimal conflict, though some other reports might place Switzerland or the Netherlands first based on different survey criteria.
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland, stands out as one of the quietest cities in the world. The city's dedication to creating and maintaining quiet zones ensures everyone can enjoy peace and quiet. This peace is no accident but the result of thoughtful urban planning and strict regulations.