Kworld Trend / Free vpns 5 points vigilance before using them netrk travellingall com, A Virtual Private Network — commonly known as a VPN — is an essential way to help protect your privacy when connected to the Internet, especially when logging in from a public space such as a hotel lobby, coffee shop, library, or airport.
Free vpns 5 points vigilance before using them netrk travellingall com
When you sign up with a VPN provider, you first have to sign into that service before you go online. When you do this, government agencies, companies, hackers, or others don’t see your IP address when they search the web.
VPN providers also encrypt your data, garnering it so that hackers can’t see the sites you visit, the files you download, the games you play, or the videos you stream.
However, online privacy is not absolute, even with a VPN. This is because your VPN provider will know your IP address and the websites you visit. The key, then, is to work with a VPN that you trust. You want a VPN that doesn’t track your data when you’re online. If your provider does not record your keystrokes, it will not provide your information to other agencies or companies.
Most VPN providers charge a fee for their services. But others don’t. You may be tempted to sign up for one of these free services. After all, who doesn’t love saving money?
But are free VPNs safe to use? Maybe not.
Are Free VPNs Safe? No – that’s why
Like any other business, free VPN service providers still have to make money somehow.
Have you ever heard of the famous saying, “If you don’t pay for [a product], then you are the product?”
Well, sorry to break it to you, but that’s the way it is with free VPNs; You and your data are the product.
Free VPNs generate revenue through shady practices like selling your data to third parties or selling your bandwidth. Besides ignoring their main purpose – keeping your data secure and private – free VPN providers come with many other downsides.
Here is a complete list of all the issues you face if you are using a free VPN.
Not all VPNs are created equal
You sign up with a VPN to protect your online privacy. But a 2016 study of 283 Android VPN apps by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia found that many VPNs don’t offer the kind of security users need.
According to the report’s findings, 67% of the VPN applications studied in this analysis included at least one tracking library in their code to track users’ online activity. This is troubling. If a VPN tracks your activity, it may intend to sell that data to third parties, for marketing or ad targeting purposes.
The study also found that, for a variety of reasons, 84 percent of the apps analyzed did not properly encrypt users’ online data. This means that it can be easy for hackers to track what users do when surfing the Internet.
Free VPNs are more likely to track your data. The CSIRO study said that 65 percent of paid VPN providers did not track users’ online activity, but only 28 percent of free services did the same. Why? Free services need to make money somewhere. If they don’t charge you to use their service, how do they make a profit to support the product they offer?
At the same time, paid VPNs are likely to provide stronger encryption services. This is because they benefit from subscriptions. It is then, arguably, more likely to spend the money needed for stronger encryption methods.
7 things you should know about using a free VPN
If you’re considering a free VPN, it’s smart to be aware of issues that may be associated with free offerings, including this one.
1. The VPN provider may be infected with malware
According to a 2016 CSIRO study, out of the 10 VPNs most likely to be infected with malware, six were free.
Most of the malware was associated with ads. This is not surprising considering that free VPNs often rely on ads to make money. It is unlikely that VPNs that charge will need to rely on advertising to make their profits.
2. VPNs can use built-in tracking for various purposes
A CSIRO study found that only 28 percent of free VPN service providers do not use embedded third-party trackers for analytics, tracking, or advertising purposes.
According to the study, 10 percent of free services had one tracker, another 10 percent had two, and 25 percent relied on three. The study found that 8 percent have four trackers, while 18 percent of free VPNs have third-party trackers.
3. VPNs often fail to unblock content
Many consumers are turning to VPNs as a way to access online content that they may not be able to access in certain areas of the world. perfect example? Netflix content.
If you live in the US, for example, you may not be able to access the same Netflix movies or TV series that you can get on Netflix in the UK. If you log onto the internet for the first time with a VPN provider with an IP address based in the UK, you may be able to access blocked Netflix programming.
the problem? Free VPNs often cannot unblock Netflix content. You may want to consider the vast resources of a premium service that may allow you to access this content. Keep in mind that it is important to consider regional laws and the terms of your service agreement with the content provider. Free vpns 5 points vigilance before using them netrk travellingall com
4. VPNs may slow down your connection
You may find that your Internet connection is slow when logging into the Internet through a free VPN service.
Many free services also offer premium VPN protection which charges a monthly or yearly subscription fee. These providers may intentionally slow down your internet speeds as a way to encourage users to sign up for their paid versions. Free vpns 5 points vigilance before using them netrk travellingall com
5. VPNs may allow online delivery of advertisements
Free VPN service providers need to make money, and many do so by hitting users with a constant stream of pop-up ads. Not only is this annoying, but it can also slow down your connection speed.
Some free VPN service providers rely on ad serving trackers, which track your online activity. HotSpot Shield VPN was a case in point: In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the company, accusing it of numerous privacy violations related to its online advertising.
According to the complaint, HotSpot Shield VPN used five tracking libraries and sold user data to third-party ad networks. HotSpot’s parent company denied the allegations and has since submitted annual transparency reports.
6. VPNs may hijack your browser
Some free VPNs can hijack your browser and redirect you to other sites without your permission. According to a CSIRO study, HotSpot Shield did this to its users by, for example, redirecting them to alibaba.com and ebay.com.
7. VPNs may allow governments to collect user data
A 2019 study from VPNpro found that the 97 best VPNs are run by 23 parent companies, with many of these companies based in countries with weak privacy laws.
What’s troubling about these findings is that China has a strict ban on VPNs. Thus, these companies may be approved by the government in which the parent company is located to collect data of their users.
The main takeaway? It might be a good idea to invest in a paid VPN service. These services may do more to help protect your data, avoid slowing down your Internet connection, and unblock restricted content. Free vpns 5 points vigilance before using them netrk travellingall com
