We all know that the Internet is not the most private place on Earth. And there are enough hints that our everyday on-line activities throw at us that confirm that. Websites that track your on-line activities and re-target to show you suspiciously relevant ads, the need to fill in your mobile number when registering on any website, and search engines that show highly personalized results are a few common examples. There are many more, worse activities that happen when you are on-line – sometimes even without you knowing and/or your approval – which is why safeguarding you and your digital activities is essential. The rise of unabashed and unabated surveillance by corporations and governments alike has pushed the need for a strong wall around your personal, private life. How and why VPN plays a pivotal role in that? Read on to find out…
Digital surveillance can be dangerous / © Flickr
The Rise and Rise of Surveillance
The degree of user hostility present in the on-line world is immeasurable, with reports doing the rounds about digital surveillance carried out by governments to keep a watch on their citizens. The rise of cyber terrorism and the increasing role of the Internet in a majority of the anti-social and -political activities that we tackle today around the world has heralded an era of skeptics.
Ask a random person how they feel about privacy on the Internet and you can see their expression change to the negative. Activists like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange have said and repeated their claims about growing surveillance and its direct impact on our lives.
Preying on Your Private Information
Seeing a website show you an advertisement about a branded jacket that you discussed with your friend on a messaging platform yesterday is enough reason for you to be apprehensive. If a small-scale website that you follow on Facebook can learn about your shopping habits, you can only imagine what big corporations and governments with plenty of high-end resources at their disposal can do to learn more about your digital activities.
However, product remarketing may be too trivial to worry about in this digital age, but when things get a little too invasive, you need to take notice and be cautious. Have you ever received an email from your internet service provider (ISP) commenting about your download and upload activities? If yes, then you already know what we’re talking about.
Why VPN? This is why © Google Play
What you do in the confines of your house should be nobody’s business. But, given the expansive nature of these humanity-threatening activities that are happening around us, it is better to take cover at an individual level and avoid surveillance than to protest and end up with nothing. But, how do you do that? Why VPN is important?
How to Avoid Surveillance
The easiest way is to stop using the Internet.
But, let’s not kid ourselves and assume that as a possible solution. The 21st century has reached adolescence and the Internet has conveniently become the fourth basic need. It is not possible to sustain without the Internet. So, what can you do?
You can befriend the ever-respected virtual private network (VPN).
Why VPN is Important
Understanding why VPN is the best solution to avoid surveillance is simple. It basically forwards all your on-line activities to a network that is nowhere near your actual network. So, if you are a marketing professional downloading few video files from the Internet sitting at your office in California, and are using a VPN, you are very well telling the guys monitoring you that you are somewhere in Belize. And they most probably believe it.
Using a VPN safeguards you from all the unwanted monitoring from your ISPs and possible agencies that may be tracking your usage. A reliable VPN effectively masks and hides your server location and IP address, and routes your traffic through another network. Of course, you will need to bank on your browser’s privacy modes to get rid of those annoying product re-marketing ads. But, the freedom to surf the web and consume and send whatever information you want from and to the Internet is arguably the best feeling today.
So, if you have been following the news lately and are worried about your privacy in the grand scheme of things, ask yourself, “Why do I need a VPN”? Then come back and take a look at Astrill VPN. Because we have at least one thing in common: we both hate digital surveillance.
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