Have you thought about choosing to use a VPN while you are browsing the web? If you are in the United States, there is a good chance that you might not have even thought that you would need one of these services. After all, you might think that VPNs are only for those in countries where access to the web is severely restricted. That’s not true though. You will find that having a VPN for private web browsing is a fantastic choice no matter where you might live.
Over the course of the last several years, the need for privacy and security has become more and more apparent, even in the United States. In 2014, the VPN market had reached $45 billion dollars, and it is projected to reach $70 billion by the year 2019. Not only countries that have notoriously strict rules and censorship on the Internet like China, Turkey etc. have been flocking to VPNs, in 2015 in the United States, 16% of all Internet users were using a VPN, and that number has been increasing yearly.
Whether it is for business or personal use, the privacy and additional security that VPNs can provide, it is no wonder that so many people are turning to them.
VPNs will mask your IP address, so it will appear as though you are logging in from another location and even another country. In addition, the VPN will cloak your signal and provide you with encryption, so you do not have to worry about anyone accessing your information and seeing what you are doing while you are on the web. Let’s look at the Top 10 reasons that you will want to consider using a VPN in the United States.
Reason #1 – Safety in Public Wi-Fi Spots
If you are out to do some writing down at the local coffee shop and use their Wi-Fi, you might not realize just how unsafe it can be. Public Wi-Fi, whether you are at a coffee shop, a hotel, or another area, does not offer encryption for your data, which makes it unsafe for browsing, emailing, and for all your private data. While this might seem alarmist, there really are thieves out there who are looking to steal your information and eavesdrop on you. Since the VPN will encrypt your data, and since you can use it with your computers and even your phone and tablet, you will browse with far more peace of mind while you are out.
↑Reason #2 – Stream Full Content from Streaming Sites Like Netflix
Today, people love their streaming services. Whether you are listening to music on Pandora or you want to watch your favorites on Hulu and Netflix. However, you might not realize that the catalogs are different in various countries around the world. If you want to have full access, then you should make sure you start using a VPN. Even though the United States tends to have a good overall selection, you can still find quite a few interesting things on streaming services when you log in with a VPN.
↑Reason #3 – P2P Files
P2P, or peer-to-peer files are possible when you have a VPN. May people want to share their movies and music with friends online, just as they would have done in the past by lending a CD or a copy of a movie. It is not possible to do this through your Internet service provider, as they have rules against doing this. However, when you have a VPN, you will find that it is easy to send and receive these files without worry. Remember, the service will encrypt your data, so no one will eavesdrop and find out that you are sharing these files.
↑Reason #4 – No Web Censorship and Surveillance
While the United States might have relatively little in the way of web censorship, you will find that using a VPN will free up the entirety of the web for you. In addition, you will find that having a VPN as a U.S. citizen is fantastic whenever you are abroad and in countries that have more restrictive rules. If you were visiting a country such as China, for example, you would not be able to access nearly as many sites as you can in the U.S. However, when you have a VPN, you can bypass those restrictions and avoid web censorship, as well as surveillance.
↑Reason #5 – No Logs of Your Searches on Search Engines
Whenever you search for something using any of the major search engine sites on the web, they will keep track of those searches. The searches are attached to your IP address, and then you will start to notice advertising targeted directly to you. You may not want to have your searches tracked when you are online, as it can be embarrassing to have some of your searches cataloged! When you cloak your IP address with a VPN, you will not have to worry about this.
↑Reason #6 – Watch What You Want on Vacation
In addition, when you have a VPN, you can take your streaming services with you when you travel. This means that if you are ever vacationing in another country and you get the urge to watch something on Netflix or Hulu that is not available in that country, you can simply log in and choose a server in the United States to access what you want. This way, you will never miss out on anything you wish to see.
↑Many people need to conduct research online that goes well beyond just figuring out which coffee maker to get. If you are trying to research specific topics as a journalist or writer, or if you are researching your competition, you want to have a safe way to do your research without fearing retaliation for the topics you are researching. Everyone, regardless of what you happen to be researching, can enjoy the privacy that is found with the use of a VPN.
↑Reason #8 – Bypass Restrictive Networks
Many will find this to be one of the most beneficial reasons to use a VPN on this Top 10 list. When you are at college or you are in a work environment that has the Internet, they will have an acceptable use policy for you to follow. However, in many cases, these policies are extremely restrictive to the point of being ridiculous. In some cases, they will restrict access to social media sites, YouTube, and even having access to your personal email.
Of course, when you have a VPN, you will have a way to bypass these restrictive networks. Even the network administrators will have no method of collecting your activities on the web. Normally, you will want to abide by the rules set forth by the school or company, but there may be times when you need to access areas of the web that would otherwise be off limits. A VPN will help you.
↑Reason #9 – Private VOIP Phone Calls
Do you ever use voice over Internet protocol for your phone calls? If you do, it might alarm you to realize just how easy it is for others to listen in on those calls. Whether you are speaking with your family and friends, or you are conducting business, you do not want to have others listening to what you are saying. However, hackers have an easy time of accessing services such as Skype that people use to speak online. The VPN will ensure your privacy when you are on these calls.
↑Reason #10 – You Hold Privacy in High Regard
Even if none of the reasons above apply to you, belief in privacy is enough of a reason to choose to use a VPN. Privacy is a right, and you should have the right to watch, research, share and do what you wish online without worrying about prying eyes following you and tracking your movements on the web.
Now that you can see all the fantastic reasons to choose to use a VPN for private web browsing thanks to this Top 10 list, it is time to check out an offer for a great service that will get you started.
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