I mean, I have been using things like proxy chains, tor, etc. for a while now (I really don’t have money for VPNs). until my friend introduced me to using an extension on Google that can act as a VPN. Is it really worth using, or is it potentially a security risk?
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A VPN can be an asset, or a security risk, depending on the provider.
You seem to have a good understanding what VPNs do (and more importantly do not), so I won’t bother to explain how most ads are overpromising.
Think of ANY VPN as a corporate office you route all your internet traffic through. You will get the benefits of a connection tunnel, but especially if you are not 100% sure who owns the office, you open yourself up to leaks about your browsing details. It’s not the end of the world but, depending on what information may be gained by the VPN providers logs, it may put you in a compromising position.
Especially with ‘free’ tools, I usually go by the rule of ‘no free lunch’ - I’d scour the terms of use and the privacy policy of the plugin before making a decision.
If you are not directly paying for a service, it is likely that your data is being sold as part of the business model. I suggest purchasing a reputable VPN, such as NordVPN, during a sale.
No, you just switch who you are giving your data too with a free vpn, its not giving you any more privacy really, they selling all your info they can.
Thanks. I appreciate your reply. Maybe, as you said, nothing is really free and completely good.
mmh it is possible if vpn providers can sell user information. I have not used free vpn but I still don’t understand why those extensions are rated so highly on google chrome store.
I would trust the free tiers of some paid VPNs. They provide the free tier in hopes that some users will upgrade to paid later.
I would trust the free tiers of some paid VPNs. They provide the free tier in hopes that some users will upgrade to paid later.