Amazon Web Services 1984 Hosting is an Icelandic web hosting company founded in 2006, named after George Orwell’s dystopian novel as a statement of their commitment to digital freedom and privacy. Based in Reykjavík, Iceland, the company has grown to serve over 50,000 users who value privacy-conscious hosting services within European jurisdiction.
As an EEA member state, Iceland offers strong privacy protections under GDPR while benefiting from robust data protection laws. 1984 Hosting operates entirely on 100% renewable green energy, reflecting Iceland’s commitment to sustainable technology infrastructure. The company positions itself as “freedom fighters” in the hosting space, emphasizing independence from major tech conglomerates and surveillance-friendly jurisdictions.
The company offers a comprehensive range of services including shared web hosting with OpenLiteSpeed, unmanaged and managed VPS solutions, domain registration, and a notable FreeDNS service that has maintained 100% uptime for 19 years. Their VPS offerings come with preconfigured images for privacy-focused applications like OpenVPN and WireGuard, with the OpenVPN image specifically configured to log to /dev/null—demonstrating their understanding of privacy-conscious users’ needs.
Security features include automatic DNSSEC handling, DDoS protection for DNS services, and enterprise-level hardware for VPS hosting. The platform provides full root access on unmanaged VPS plans, VNC console access, and ISO mounting capabilities for users who want complete control over their infrastructure.
For privacy-conscious individuals, activists, journalists, and businesses seeking European data residency, 1984 Hosting represents a solid choice. Their acceptance of cryptocurrency payments (Bitcoin and Monero) alongside traditional payment methods provides additional privacy options for those who prefer anonymous transactions. The Icelandic jurisdiction, combined with transparent privacy practices and GDPR compliance, makes 1984 Hosting a trustworthy alternative to US-based cloud providers for users prioritizing data sovereignty and privacy.
Key Features
- 100% Green Energy: All infrastructure runs on Iceland’s renewable energy sources
- FreeDNS Service: Free DNS hosting with unlimited zones and 19+ years of 100% uptime
- Privacy-Focused VPS Images: Preconfigured OpenVPN and WireGuard images with no-logging configurations
- European Data Residency: All data hosted in Iceland under EEA/GDPR jurisdiction
- Cryptocurrency Payments: Accept Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) for enhanced payment privacy
- DNSSEC & DDoS Protection: Automatic DNSSEC handling and DNS-level DDoS protection included
Privacy Highlights
1984 Hosting operates under Icelandic and EEA data protection law, with full GDPR compliance. Users can contact GDPR@1984.is to exercise their privacy rights, and the Icelandic Data Protection Authority serves as the supervisory body.
The company collects minimal data necessary for service delivery: contact information, billing data, and standard server logs. Credit card details are processed by payment partners (Borgun, Landsbankinn, PayPal) and not stored by 1984 directly. Network logs may be retained for security purposes, and financial records are kept for 7 years as required by Icelandic law.
Notably, the company does not employ third-party advertising trackers on their website, and their website code is released under GPL v3. Users can request account deletion and personal data removal through their account management interface, with exceptions only for legally required financial records and security-related data.
For maximum privacy, 1984 offers cryptocurrency payment options and provides VPS images preconfigured for privacy (OpenVPN logging to /dev/null), giving users full control over their privacy posture.