DNS or Domain Name System is the internet’s address book. It translates human‑readable domain names like example.com into numerical IP addresses that computers use to connect with each other. Without DNS, users would have to memorize long strings of numbers for every website they visit.

What is DNS4EU?

DNS4EU for Public is the European Union’s new recursive DNS service, designed specifically for EU citizens, businesses, and public organizations. Its mission is to provide a secure, fast, and privacy‑respecting name resolution service that fully complies with EU data protection laws such as the GDPR.

All DNS queries are processed within the EU, reducing reliance on global providers and improving data security.

Benefits for Users in Europe

DNS4EU offers several advantages for people living in Europe. It protects users from malicious websites and blocks access to known phishing and scam domains. There’s an optional parental control feature to block adult content, as well as an ad‑blocking option to reduce intrusive advertising on websites and apps.

These filtering options can be combined, and there’s also a completely unfiltered mode for those who prefer maximum speed and unrestricted access.

Technical Features

DNS4EU is built on infrastructure located within the EU, ensuring low latency and high availability. At present, there is no DNS4EU server in Finland, meaning DNS queries are routed to another European country. This may slightly increase latency, especially for real‑time applications, but for most users the difference is minimal.

The service is operated by a consortium of nine European companies and organizations. User IP addresses are anonymized before being stored in logs, further enhancing privacy.

Why DNS4EU Matters

DNS4EU is part of the EU’s broader strategy to strengthen digital sovereignty and provide an alternative designed with European users in mind. It combines security, privacy, and performance in a way that makes it an attractive choice over traditional DNS services.