Whenever it comes to online security and protecting privacy on the internet, VPN is a tool that everyone suggests to us. However, there are quite a lot of users who are still not well aware of VPNs. Hence, they ask questions like do I need a VPN? How VPN can protect our privacy and so on.
In case if you are also confused about whether you should get yourself a VPN plan or not, then I am here to help you out. In this article, I am going to talk about what a is VPN and why you should use it by sharing some of the real-life uses.
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What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an online tool used to add security and privacy to private and public networks, like WiFi Hotspots, mobile networks, and the LAN Internet.
It is an encrypted connection over the internet from a device to a network, so that you can browse the web anonymously. The encrypted connection is committed to keeping your data safe and ensures that your sensitive data is safely transmitted. It also prevents unauthorized people from spying on you on the internet.
In simple words, you can say that it adds an extra layer of security and privacy, which protects your information from hackers. Also, it is pretty helpful if you are connecting to public networks like public WiFi or other internet options.
Moreover, a VPN also replaces your IP address with a different IP address. As a result, your location will get changed online. This way, you cannot only stay anonymous online.
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Real-Life Uses Of VPN
A VPN can also help you unblock websites and services that otherwise might be blocked in your area. You can browse geo-restricted contents too. To help you understand better, let me just share some of the real-life uses of VPN. So here we go:
1. Accessing GEO Restricted Offers with a VPN
One of the best things about a VPN is that it lets you avail of cheap deals online. As you already know that the same product costs different in many regions. So in case if you are purchasing software online which costs $100 in the USA, and the same software is available for $50 in Germany, you may want to purchase it from Germany right?
And doing so is extremely easy with a VPN. All you have to do is change your location to Germany, and you are all set to shop online.
2. Access Additional Online Content
With a VPN, you will not have to face any sort of restrictions online. You may have noticed messages like “The uploader has not made this content available in your country” while browsing YouTube. This means you cannot watch the video in your country, but if you use a VPN, you can view YouTube videos from any country you want.
Even, not just YouTube, you can use VPN with streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and so on. There are quite a lot of contents that are only available to a specific country on streaming platforms. So if you want to watch movies or TV shows without any restrictions, VPN is your friend.
Even, VPN also works against government restrictions. For example, with a VPN, you can easily access torrent websites, gambling sites, social media websites, and so on.
3. Watching Sports Content Without Any Restrictions
If you are someone who loves watching sports, VPN can be a super handy tool for you. As you already know that sticking to the TV all the time is not possible. Hence, there are quite a lot of streaming websites available online, which are free to use.
But visiting those websites can lead you to legal issues. But when you use a VPN, your connection gets anonymous. As a result, no one will be able to know your real identity. Plus with a VPN, you can access sports from different countries.
4. Keep Your Privacy Online
Lastly, it helps in keeping your connection private. If you are using an unsecured connection, it simply means someone can easily know what you are doing online, what you are searching on the web, and what are you watching.
Also, the scariest part is that there are quite a lot of trackers and search engines harvest your data and logs all your internet activity. Then they use the same data to target ads, or the data gets sold to different companies.
But when you are using a VPN, it offers you a secure connection. Everything you do is encrypted. Plus, most of the VPN providers have a no-log policy. This means the VPN provider will not harvest your data or look at what you are doing online.
Why do I need a VPN?
Now the question is, should you need a VPN? Well to answer these questions let me just give you some handful of reasons over here:
- VPN helps in bypassing geographic restrictions on websites or streaming audio and video.
- You can watch streaming services like Netflix and Hulu without any content restrictions.
- VPN protects you from getting snooped on untrustworthy Wi-Fi hotspots.
- You will be able to be completely anonymous online. So no one will get to know your true location.
- It lets you protect yourself while downloading torrents or using illegal streaming sites or apps.
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Paid VPN vs Free VPN: Which One Should You Choose?
There are quite a lot of users who prefer to use free VPNs instead of the paid ones because they tend to think a VPN is an expensive purchase to make.
And if you are planning to do the same, I would recommend you to stay away from free VPNs and opt for paid ones. Here is why:
Reasons Not To Use Free VPN:
- Free VPNs track your online activities and sell your personal and browsing data.
- Free VPN gives access to other users to your connection.
- They are not reliable and offer you poor performance.
- Offers you a slow connection.
- The features are limited.
Reasons To Use a Paid VPN:
- Offers you reliable and genuine protection online.
- Paid VPN comes with top-notch network security.
- You don’t get any sort of bandwidth or speed limits.
- You get access to a wide range of server locations.
Conclusion
Every day thousands of users are joining the VPN industry. It is a massive market and that makes it very competitive. You can be sure the VPN providers will do everything they can to protect your privacy online, but you should also take steps to protect yours by subscribing to the best VPN apps available online. The easiest way to do that is by reading the best VPN reviews online or by finding a list of VPNs to try and test yourself.
