In a way, you could say that a VPN is like a Red Bull – it gives you wings. You get to access the whole of the internet with no limits of any kind. You can bypass various restrictions, download all the files you want, and browse the web anonymously.
That’s all known, but VPN could also be used for other things. And that’s the point of this article, to highlight some less known facts about VPNs. Let’s start, shall we?
1. VPN providers never share user data (if they collect any in the first place)
First of all, you should know that top VPNs don’t collect any information on its users, except for your username and password, and payment information — they need that data so you could pay for the service.
The little information they collect, they NEVER share with third parties. That’s why they charge for the service and that’s why you should NEVER get a free service. As the saying goes, if a product is free — you are the product.
And the data they gather is used exclusive by them to determine possible problems in the network and/or to improve their services.
2. A VPN is like a firewall, but untraceable
I guess that’s the way to explain a VPN service to a newbie, but it’s not the complete answer. VPNs use tunnel encryption to secure the information traveling between servers and make it harder for things like viruses to reach your computer or network. Whereas firewalls protect networks through sifting, VPNs protect networks by being untraceable.
So while VPNs do resemble a firewall in a way that they protect you against cyber attacks, they also offer additional capabilities. For start, you can use a VPN to bypass all kinds of restrictions and access content that would otherwise be outside of your reach in some settings. Like, accessing Facebook and Netflix from a foreign country. More on that in a moment.
3. A VPN doesn’t make you completely anonymous
This is partly true, but it doesn’t have to be. For instance, you could open an anonymized email account and use it to open an account with a VPN service. Also, you could use some cryptocurrency to pay for that service and voila — you are impossible to trace. These steps are actually not as complicated as they sound.
So if you want to be truly anonymous online, get some impossible to track cryptocurrency like Monero or Zcash, and buy a VPN service with those assets. You can check out the list of VPNs that accept crypto from here.
4. A VPN can save you money
Everyone who has searched the same/similar airline ticket(s) twice during the same day knows that online services selling airfare dynamically adjust their prices based on your interest. With a VPN turned on, you will always appear to the airline and other services as a new customer, thus you’ll get a better price. For consecutive visits, just change the server you’re connecting to and the site will see you as a brand new client.
Similarly, video streaming services have different prices for different locations. To get the best possible price, connect to a US-based server and then visit the service you want to subscribe to. This feature alone could pay off the cost of a VPN service.
5. A VPN lets you access blocked content
Accessing blocked content is one of the key reasons people get a VPN service. For instance, people use a VPN to bypass restrictions imposed by their ISPs in high-censorship countries.
Another example is when you use a VPN to access geolocation-blocked — or otherwise limited — content. For instance, Netflix has a different catalog of movies for the U.S. and other parts of the world. Most users would like to access its biggest offering, which would be the one reserved for U.S. residents — and for that, they need a VPN.
Also, U.S. residents themselves also need a VPN to keep their access to services such as Netflix when they’re traveling to other countries.
And finally, some organizations may also impose limits, most of which could be bypassed with a good VPN service.
6. Sometimes, a VPN can give you a faster internet
ISPs are notorious for throttling download speeds of some services on their networks — i.e. video streaming services and torrenting.
A good VPN can be used to bypass those restrictions by showing to your ISP that you’re browsing the web, while in reality — you may be watching some movie or downloading a file via BitTorrent.
7. Around 30 countries have banned VPNs
VPNs may be great, but they are not equally appreciated across the world. In countries with authoritarian laws – they are banned, with local governments censoring the internet for their constituents.
Among the countries in that group are China, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Syria and Russia. Overall, there are some 30 countries where VPNs are banned. So if you plan to visit some of these countries, make sure to download a VPN app before landing on the foreign soil. Start with our list of Best of the Best VPNs and take it from there. 😉