Why use a VPN? Top reasons for enhanced online privacy

VPNs are great for hiding your online activities from prying eyes. Of course, that's just a fraction of what they’re capable of. Here, we'll reveal the top reasons why you should use a VPN.

If you're looking for a no-fuss way to protect yourself online, you can't go too far wrong with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Simply connect to a suitable server and use the internet as normal, safe in the knowledge that your browsing habits are being kept hidden. There are several more active ways to use a VPN, however. Below, we'll cover a few of the most popular and answer some extremely common questions about VPN usage.

WHY USE VPNS: THE SHORT ANSWER

VPNs take the stress out of online security. That's because they're easy to set up and make it significantly more difficult for hackers to see what you get up to online. Moreover, they can help you beat ISP throttling, geographic restrictions, and digital censorship. Some providers even include tools that block ads and trackers automatically, on desktop and mobile devices. 

How VPNs help keep you safe online

So how exactly do VPNs protect you? Normally when you browse the internet, anyone who owns the network you're using can see which sites you visit. VPNs prevent this by encrypting your traffic. In simple terms, this scrambles the data and makes it completely unreadable. Once you’re connected to the VPN, network administrators have no idea what you're doing online and cannot spy on your activities or prevent you from accessing certain sites.

Naturally, this assumes that your VPN is using industry-standard encryption and safeguards. There are hundreds of providers to choose from but we recommend NordVPN; it includes some of the most advanced privacy features we've seen, has a proven no-logs policy, and delivers impressive speeds, even when using distant servers. Alternatively, you may want to consider Surfshark or ExpressVPN, two more high-quality services with plenty to offer.

What are some of the most popular ways people use VPNs?

Without further ado, let's explore a few of the ways people use VPNs that you might not have considered.

Browsing the internet anonymously

If you've ever used a public WiFi hotspot , you may have noticed that certain websites are inaccessible. Most offices have some form of online restriction as well, if only to prevent employees from browsing Facebook when they're supposed to be working. 

There may be occasions when you come up against even stricter limitations. For instance, many countries (including China and the UAE ) have state-sponsored digital surveillance programs and keep a close eye on what their citizens get up to online.

With the right VPN, it's possible to bypass web-filtering and maintain your online anonymity wherever you go. This is a huge advantage for journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious citizens all across the world. Just be aware that some countries restrict access to VPN websites, meaning you may have to install the service before you arrive.

Upgrading digital security

You might be surprised to learn just how much information advertisers know about you. What’s particularly shocking is that they’re able to gather this data even if you never click on a single online ad. That’s because it’s common practice to build profiles of peoples’ likes and dislikes based on the sites you visit, whether you scroll past ads immediately, and where you are in the world.

VPNs can help limit this type of data collection. After all, you'll almost always be sharing an IP address with dozens of other users, making it effectively impossible to tell who interacted with a specific advertisement. Further, many VPNs now include additional privacy features such as automatic tracker and ad-blocking which can be activated at the touch of a button. 

Some can even alert you if a site seems unsafe or if a file that you're trying to download is suspicious. Plus, any consumer VPN worth its salt will include a kill switch – this stops sending data the moment your connection drops, ensuring you never accidentally browse unprotected.

This is just a small taste of what is available. We've seen providers offer access to specially-configured servers in underground data centers, tools capable of rerouting traffic from games consoles and smart TVs, and even servers that change your IP address periodically. In other words, whatever you need, there is a VPN that can provide it.

Accessing your usual services abroad

It's easy to forget that we actually only have access to a small portion of the internet. There are dozens of streaming services that are only available in one country, and some locations even restrict access to apps and services that we take for granted, such as Wikipedia and Google.

So why does this matter? Well, normally, Americans going abroad on vacation won’t be able to continue watching their favorite shows on platforms like YouTube TV or Peacock . They may also find that the available content on services such as Netflix is radically different from what they get back home. 

When you connect to a VPN, all of your traffic is sent through a server in another country. This changes your IP address, which is what websites use to find out where you are in the world. In short, you just have to choose a server in your home country to regain access to your usual content. As an added bonus, this approach also means you aren’t subject to any content limitations that the local internet service provider has in place. So long as a website is accessible in your VPN server’s country, you'll be able to visit it.

Improving your experience while gaming and torrenting

From a security perspective, torrenting and gaming are relatively similar activities. In both scenarios, your device is connecting with several others (though some games use the developer’s servers as a sort of middle-man). The problem with this is that it's often all too easy to find the IP addresses (and therefore location) of the other people taking part.

With a VPN active, this isn’t a problem. Anyone who traces their IP address will simply be shown the details of the server, not the user. This protects you from copyright trolls , other players, or anyone else seeking to use this information for nefarious purposes.

VPNs can help gamers in other ways too. For instance, they make it easy to play with friends in other countries, even if your preferred game doesn't normally allow you to manually change server regions. If your IP address is wrongfully banned, connecting to a VPN will allow you to get right back into the game (although this won’t help if your account is banned).

Additionally, some internet service providers have been known to artificially reduce the speeds of customers who perform data-intensive tasks regularly. Thanks to the VPN’s encryption, your ISP won't be able to tell what you're doing and is therefore less likely to throttle your connection.

FAQs about VPNs

Am I completely untraceable while using a VPN?

There is no way to browse the internet 100% anonymously. While a VPN will shield your browsing habits from your ISP and network administrators, they are not a foolproof solution to the question of online privacy. 

For starters, website owners can still monitor your activities on their platform. There is plausible deniability here as many users share a single IP address, but nobody else has your passwords . By logging into your accounts, you’re essentially identifying yourself to the site operators and anyone else they share their data with. 

VPNs also can't protect people who are prone to oversharing. You could have the most advanced security setup in the world, but it won't do you any good if you post selfies, your address, or other identifiable information on Facebook. The best way to keep yourself safe online is to use a VPN, educate yourself on the basics of cybersecurity , and take a more mindful approach to what you put on the internet.

Do VPNs sell my data to advertisers?

It's true that some less scrupulous VPN providers have been known to sell details of their users’ activities. However, these tend to be smaller, free-to-use services designed to generate profit rather than provide any real degree of online privacy. 

Most well-known VPNs provide detailed privacy policies breaking down what type of data they log, why they do this, and who they share it with. On that note, providers with no-logging policies simply cannot sell details of your online activities, because they themselves do not have this information. For greater transparency, some VPNs have even commissioned independent audits, which allows a third party to verify that the company’s privacy claims are accurate.

If you’re considering a VPN that is vague about how it handles your information, we strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

Don’t most major sites and services block VPNs outright?

While it's true that some websites have advanced VPN-detection systems , the vast majority don't. In fact, most are accessible from anywhere in the world and those that aren’t usually just check to see which country the user’s IP address comes from. 

Besides, if VPN customers want to access a specific site, providers have a vested interest in making it happen. That's why, whenever platforms like Netflix introduce new VPN-blocking features, it's usually only a few days before a workaround is discovered. If you sign up for a VPN and later realize that it's blocked by all of your favorite websites, there is almost certainly an alternative you can try that will help you regain access.

Are VPNs legal?

Despite what you may have heard, VPNs are legal in most of the world. In fact, Surfshark estimates that roughly 1.6 billion people (nearly one-third of all internet users) rely on these services. There are restrictions on which providers you can use in certain countries. For example, China and Russia only allow citizens to use government-approved services. Outright bans on VPN usage, however, are almost unheard of.

Disclaimer: While we have thoroughly researched this topic, it must be said that we are not legal experts. Nothing above should be taken as legal advice. If you’re uncertain about whether VPNs are legal in your country, we encourage you to research local legislation or seek professional advice before using one.