Why Use a VPN for Private Web Browsing in the U.S.?
No matter where you live, a VPN is more than just a handy way to ensure privacy. Though a lot of people in the United States might never think they should use, or can benefit from a VPN, there are a lot of reasons to do so. Yes, a major reason for using a VPN is when you are abroad and trying to use the web in a country with a lot of restrictions, but private web browsing is also a very smart choice.
Why? Well, in the past decade the need to assure total privacy has increased exponentially, and that is true for those in all corners of the globe, even the U.S. You may not know that, by 2014 the VPN market had reached $45 billion dollars, and it is projected to keep going and reach $70 billion by 2022.
This massive expansion is occurring because the need for VPNs has expanded far outside of the countries once considered the only areas where the need for privacy and security were essential. While it was once imperative for those in countries like Turkey and Chine, where censorship and blockages occurred, it is now commonplace for Internet users in the U.S. to also sign on for VPN service. In fact, around 16% of the American market uses virtual private networks. And it is not limited strictly to business users, as personal accounts are just as prevalent.
Of course, you may be unsure as to just what a VPN offers. First and foremost is the fact that it masks the IP address you are using. It actually makes it appear that you are logging in from another region or even another country or continent. A good VPN encrypts your signal, like a cloaking device that disables anyone’s ability to see what it is you are doing on the web.
Yet, there are ten good reasons beyond privacy and security that people are using a VPN in the United States. They include:
#1 –Public Wi-Fi Safety
Sitting in the local Starbucks or coffee shop and hopping on their WiFi network might be convenient and handy, but it is hardly safe. It doesn’t matter where you are, a public WiFi spot is often an unencrypted target full of important data. It is the least safe area for you to do any and all browsing, emailing or using sites with sensitive data. Yes, you can secure your device and browser, but it may not be enough. Yet, a VPN encrypts everything you do, and it can be used on the laptop, tablet or phone to ensure optimal safety at all times and in all places.
#2 – Access All Content from Popular Streaming Sites
If you have a Netflix account or use any of the other top streaming services, including music sites like Pandora, the catalogs are not the same in all parts of the world. Your login credentials work anywhere you login, and so a VPN actually allows you to login from wherever you choose and see what those services offer elsewhere. It is the one way to get the entire catalog of your favorite streaming services.
#3 – Peer to Peer File Sharing
The days of Peer to Peer or P2P have come and gone, but with a VPN you can continue to share everything from music and movie files to software and much more. It is the same as lending someone a CD or a DVD, but most ISP (Internet Service Providers) will not allow you to legally do this. With a VPN, though, you can quickly, easily, safely and discreetly share because of the encryption that blocks any and all of the potential “eavesdroppers” who might rain on your P2P parade.
#4 – Eliminating Censorship or Government Surveillance
As someone using the Internet in the U.S., you don’t run into much censorship. Yet, a VPN is the universal workaround no matter where you want to browse. It frees up the entire web and makes it easy to keep up with your usual Internet usage no matter where you are. You can be in a country with very restrictive attitudes about the Internet, but your VPN lets you cruise past censorship and restrictions in total privacy and security. As an example, if you were in China you could not use the same array of sites as you might in the UK or the U.S. With your VPN, though, you have nothing to impede your use of the web and no way for any government agency to surveille you either.
#5 – Keeping No Logs of Your Search Activities
Your IP is your identifying address, and when you go online without a VPN, most of your activity is actually tracked and logged. Search engines are the worst offenders with this, and everything you search for is tagged to your IP. At best, it opens you up to unsolicited and targeted ad campaigns, and at worst it can expose you to embarrassment and more. A VPN is like an invisibility cloak and your IP is unable to be seen, detected, recorded or logged. It means total search privacy.
#6 – Use Your Fee Based Streaming Services While Abroad
You pay monthly fees for streaming services, but when abroad you may be unable to login as they detect your IP coming from outside of your native country. With a VPN, though, you can choose to appear as if you were logging in from home. You choose a server in the U.S. and watch your favorite shows without any blocks, limits or other issues interfering.
#7 – Supporting Unfettered Research
If you have ever done online research, you might have discovered that you need to type in terms or look up information you would rather not be associated with. Apart from search engines logging your searches, your lack of privacy can mean someone (or many people) are watching you as you dig into an unsavory or unpopular issue. It can also mean your competitors are aware of your activities. To do discreet, secure and private research, a VPN is essential. It lets you remain hidden as you look into any number of issues from anywhere in the world.
#8 – Bypassing Networks with Restrictive Barriers
Do you wish to use your office computer to do things the company deems unacceptable during work hours? That might mean visiting social media, checking your personal email or viewing a YouTube video or two. They can legally block you from this, but your VPN can work around such blocks. You are technically bypassing the networks with those restrictive barriers, preventing the IT people and administrators from even seeing what you are doing or watching your activities. Should you override workplace policies? That’s not for us to say. However, if you need access to such sites during the workday, the VPN is the fastest and most secure way to gain it.
#9 –VOIP Phone Privacy
The advent of “voice of Internet protocol” services for traditional phone calls is great. However, those calls are easily interfered with, listened to and compromised. The easiest way to avoid this and secure your calls is through the VPN. Whether you wish to prevent someone from hacking into a Skype conversation or you use a different VOIP service for business, a VPN guarantees security and privacy at all times.
#10 – Upholding Your Desire for Total Privacy
If you shrugged your shoulders over most of these reasons because they don’t apply to you, just consider the issue of privacy. Everyone believes in privacy and that alone is a good reason to get yourself a VPN. Nothing that you do online should be open to scrutiny or spying and tracking, and that is something a VPN ensures you are free from.
You now have ten valid reasons to get a VPN and start your new year with private web browsing and online activities. Checkout an offer for a great service and get started