extremely versatile. Some people even use a VPN for gaming.
Your encrypted VPN connection tunnels right through any restrictions to bring you the websites and services you want, regardless of the content blocks on your network.
Avoid censorship
Many countries limit internet access. China blocks Google and Facebook and all their associated services, such as Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Instagram. A VPN connection can get you around censorship blocks in the same way it can circumvent content geo-blocking and website restrictions by configuring your virtual IP address.
Evade ISP tracking
Without a VPN, your ISP can track all your online activity: the websites and services you use, when you use them, and how long you use them for. And ISPs can use that information to throttle your bandwidth depending on your usage.
Many people don’t understand how much leverage your ISP has over your data. In the UK, your ISP will store your online history for a year — that’s everything you read, watch, view, and click. And in the US, your ISP can store and sell your browsing history to the highest bidder — such as an advertising network, data broker, or subscription service — without your consent.
Because of how a VPN works, it protects you from this kind of invasion of privacy. Since VPNs encrypt your device’s internet connection, your ISP can’t monitor exactly what you’re doing online, and they can’t see your browsing history.
Prevent price discrimination
Price discrimination, also called dynamic pricing, happens when ecommerce sites offer different prices for the same product to different people based on their location or perceived ability to pay. Online retailers use a variety of criteria to calculate the prices for visitors to their websites — device type along with demographic information such as your real-world location.
Airlines are frequently accused of price discrimination, with flight prices changing depending on when you buy, where you are, and other factors. As well as allowing you to shop online more safely, using a virtual private network to give yourself an IP address in another part of the world means you can counteract location-based price discrimination.
Why you should use a VPN
VPNs offer the best protection against online snoops and hackers, and you should use one if you want to browse privately and securely. As well as encrypting your internet traffic, and keeping your online activity hidden, a VPN prevents anyone from finding your IP address by showing the public internet the IP address of the VPN server you’re using instead of your own.
Your public IP address links your device to your ISP as well as to your geographic location, which enables geo-blocking, censorship, price-discrimination, and other content restrictions. Pair that IP masking with encryption, and a VPN helps keep your online activities fully private from ISPs, hackers, and government surveillance.
AVG Secure VPN enhances your privacy by masking you and other VPN users behind a single, shared IP address. This makes it extremely difficult for anyone to link your web activity back to you, since multiple users are sharing the same IP at any given time. It’s just one of the many ways AVG Secure VPN keeps you safe online.
A VPN service is as secure as its protocol. VPN services using the OpenVPN protocol leverage the same method of 256-bit encryption trusted by banks and governments around the world. But remember that a VPN is not the same as an antivirus tool. While VPNs secure your internet connection, they’re not designed to detect, block, or scan and remove malware. You shouldn’t plan on using a VPN to protect against viruses, ransomware, spyware, or phishing attacks.
How do I choose a VPN?
You should choose a premium VPN that offers the security, stability, privacy, and connection speed you’re looking for. Many free VPN services simply cannot compete — you can expect ads, unreliable connections, or weaker security. They may also collect and sell your personal data.
Other important factors include the number and location of servers offered, and whether the VPN service provides additional security features such as shared IP addresses that make it more difficult to identify the actions of any individual user. You should also get a VPN that includes a “kill switch” that shuts down your internet connection in case your VPN service is interrupted for any reason.
Are VPNs legal?
VPNs are legal in most countries, but not all. Some countries restrict VPN use, while others forbid certain types of content. But no matter where you are, using a VPN for criminal purposes is always illegal. While you’re unlikely to get into legal trouble for streaming through a VPN, your streaming content provider may block your account if you violate the service’s terms and conditions.
What about using a Smart DNS or Tor instead of a VPN service?
A Smart DNS is a simple service for people who want to access geo-blocked content. But a Smart DNS doesn’t encrypt your internet connection, which means it won’t keep you safe on public Wi-Fi like a VPN will. This is just one of the many differences between a Smart DNS and a VPN.
While Tor (The Onion Router) does encrypt internet traffic, when you compare Tor to a VPN, you’ll notice that Tor is very slow. And since its network is maintained by volunteers, using it to download or share large files is discouraged. A VPN service will give you much faster speeds, without limits on what you can do while connected.
Should I always use a VPN?
You can’t lose by keeping your VPN on at all times. The most important time to turn on your VPN is if you’re about to connect to an unsecured public Wi-Fi network. Without VPN protection, it’s possible someone else on that network can see what you’re doing and access your data.
Will a VPN drain my battery?
The more apps you have open at once, the more battery power they demand, whether you’re on your mobile device or your laptop. While your VPN app shouldn’t use a large amount of power, it will still consume a bit more of your battery life than if you weren’t using it. Some VPNs offer a battery-saver mode in the settings. If not, you can disconnect your VPN when you’re not actively using your device.
Protect your privacy with a leading VPN you can trust
AVG Secure VPN keeps your data safe with 256-bit AES encryption — the same military-grade encryption that banks and governments use. Our lightning-fast servers located around the world will get you the content you crave while hiding your identity behind a shared IP address, making it almost impossible for anyone to link your activity back to you.
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