Should I use a VPN?
What a VPN does and does not do, when it genuinely helps, and why most of the marketing is overstated.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
It hides your browsing from your internet provider and your location from websites. It does not make you anonymous, does not stop tracking by accounts you log into, and is not necessary for security on public wifi in the way the adverts suggest.
VPN marketing is among the most overstated in technology. The genuine uses are real and narrower than advertised, and knowing which is which stops you paying for protection you do not get.
Safety
Step by step
- Understand what it actually does.It encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN provider, then sends it on. Your internet provider sees that you connected to a VPN and nothing else. Websites see the VPN's location rather than yours.
- Understand what it does not do.It does not make you anonymous. Logging into an account identifies you regardless. It does not stop cookies, fingerprinting or tracking by services you use. It does not protect against malware or phishing.
- Know that public wifi is largely a solved problem.Almost all websites now use HTTPS, which encrypts traffic end to end. The public wifi danger that VPN adverts describe is much smaller than it was.
- Use one for the genuine cases.Hiding browsing from your internet provider, accessing your home country's services while abroad, using a network that blocks things, or where local surveillance is a genuine concern.
- Recognise you are moving trust, not removing it.The VPN provider can see everything your internet provider could. Choose one with a genuine independently-audited no-logs policy and a clear ownership structure.
- Never use a free VPN.Running one costs money. Free providers fund it by logging and selling data, which is the opposite of the point.
- Expect it to be slower.Traffic takes a longer route. A good provider is barely noticeable; a poor one makes streaming and calls worse.
- Check the legal position where you are.VPNs are legal in most countries and restricted in some. Worth knowing before travelling.
Tips
- If your goal is less tracking, a privacy-focused browser with tracking protection does more than a VPN and costs nothing.
- For general home use, a VPN is optional. For using your home country's streaming abroad, or for a network that blocks things, it is the right tool.
- Check the ownership. Several popular VPNs are owned by companies whose main business is advertising data.
Questions people ask
Do I need a VPN on public wifi?
Much less than the adverts suggest. Almost all sites now use HTTPS, which already encrypts your traffic. A VPN adds a layer but the original danger is largely solved.
Does a VPN make me anonymous?
No. It hides your traffic from your internet provider and your location from websites, but logging into any account identifies you, and tracking by services you use continues.