Tech

VPNs are Great for Online Privacy but are they Necessary?

January 15, 202229

You’re probably already familiar with some of the best software today, and many other advancements made to help improve online security and privacy. Among the list of some of the most prestigious security software is a VPN.

Table of Contents

What is a VPN?

For those of you who don’t know, a VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, is one of the best and most advanced security software today. It’s designed to help secure your connection, create more private channels, allow you to bypass ISP throttling and many other benefits.

If you’re confused about how it works, well, in short, a VPN offers a number of secure and private virtual servers. When you connect to these servers, your data is encrypted and rerouted through a secure tunnel and to the final destination.

Through this, your internet service provider, a website, app, or third-parties won’t be able to see your actual IP address, nor trace your digital footprints. There are even some of the best dedicated IP VPN services that allow you to use a personal IP address – even though there are additional charges to that. Through that, it promises a better and safer time online.

It’s quite astonishing when you think about it – allowing you to maintain full privacy online. However, even though most guides recommend using the best VPN for online privacy and security, is it truly necessary?

Or better yet, should you depend on a VPN?

Is it necessary to use a VPN?

Here’s the thing, using a VPN is not a hard and fast rule. Yes, there are a lot of benefits that come with using a VPN, but again, it all depends on what you need it for.

So, to answer your question, no, you don’t really need a VPN if you’re using the internet for limited research or surfing. However, on the contrary, if you live in a country that enforces harsh censorship laws, and promotes mass online surveillance, then using a VPN is a must.

If you take a look below, we’ve covered a number of reasons showing you why a VPN is crucial for maintaining online privacy and more!

Why a VPN is beneficial

There are many reasons why you’d need the best VPN, and to say whether a VPN is a must to use, depends entirely on the online laws in your country. Let’s get started:

1. Online censorship and geo-restrictions

Have you ever wondered why you’re able to access Netflix within the States, but not while traveling to another country? Sometimes, even if a service expands its accessibility to another country, does not mean that you’ll be able to access it.

The internet laws vary from country to country. Chances of you not being able to access a streaming service are due to censorship laws and geo-restrictions. It is always one of the two reasons.

With that said, sometimes it gets really annoying when you can’t get into your online banking apps while traveling abroad – being worse than not getting access to a streaming service.

So, to add a solution, using the best VPN, and by connecting to a particular server, you will be able to unblock and gain access in no time. You can just about access any content, app or website from anywhere in the world.

2. Protection from online threats and malware

Other than getting past geo-restrictions and censorships, have you ever wondered the kinds of threats available online? There are many websites that track your every move, and flood your screen with links that are malicious.

It’s not just with websites. The same applies to the apps you download from unknown sources, or clicking on email links that you are not sure about.

VPNs come with a couple of security features that can help you bypass these threats. If you choose a reliable VPN software, it offers a Kill Switch, Split-Tunneling, speedy and secure protocols, AES 256-bit encryption, DNS leak protection and more.

3. Bypass ISP throttling and data logging

Data logging prevails in almost every digital endeavor. The worst part is that your ISP, short for Internet Service Provider not only logs your data and monitors it, they also go as far as to throttle your internet connection.

For starters, you pay for an internet connection that is fast, but your speeds are reduced to something beyond slow and you experience buffering issues. This is a result of ISP throttling. A VPN helps maintain your speeds, and helps bypass ISP throttling.

4. Maximum protection for all your devices

The average person often uses more than one device for either streaming, torrenting, gaming, for work and other reasons. Not all devices offer in-built features for online protection. Plus, you won’t be able to get access to the latest content on your devices like Firestick, depending on where you live.

A VPN offers protection over multiple devices simultaneously. With this, you will be able to protect all the devices you use, with just one subscription.

Can we use a free VPN for online protection?

You can use a free VPN, but it’s definitely not recommended for online protection. A free VPN makes its monetary gains in some way or the other, compromising your data and privacy. They store, and sell your data to third-parties.

Plus, free VPN services don’t offer servers that you can actually connect to. It means that free VPNs hardly offer a maximum of 10-12 servers with barely any IP addresses. This will cause overcrowding when various users connect to it at the same time.

Plus, a free VPN doesn’t offer encryption or the required levels of encryption for online privacy. Why waste your time on it and compromise much more important things in the process?

To conclude

And that’s a wrap! You know what a VPN is, how it works, and what it’s used for. Lastly, if you’re wondering whether or not you need a VPN, then that entirely depends on you. If you live where internet freedom is down the hatchet, then a VPN will do you good. Need access to a streaming service or online account? A VPN should help. Either way, make sure you select one that is reliable.