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The benefits of VPN for users are undeniable: expanding connections, enhancing user security, ... . However, VPN usage also comes with several limitations. Below are 5 reasons why you should stop using VPN right away.
5 reasons why you should stop using VPN right now
1. Monitoring and selling your data
VPN helps protect users safely online. One of the standout advantages of VPN is preventing Internet Service Providers (ISP) and other data tracking tools from selling user data for profit.
By encrypting user data and routing it through VPN servers, your Internet Service Provider won't know what you're doing online. However, VPN service providers might. Essentially, you're just 'switching' trackers.
Of course, most paid VPN services don't do this; they have their own privacy policies and don't track user activities.
With free VPNs, you can't be sure they're not tracking you. Clearly, storing and operating a VPN network for thousands of users is very costly. In many cases, you might be the 'main source of income' for VPN service providers. Remember, there's nothing in this world called 'free'.
In a recent study by CSIRO surveying 283 VPNs, it was found that 75% of free VPN apps have various forms of tracking.
The conclusion drawn here: if you're using VPN for security purposes rather than accessing geographically restricted websites or downloading copyrighted content, it's best to 'say no' and stop using free VPN services right now.
2. Non-compliance with a rule
The reason to cease using this VPN is closely tied to the reason mentioned by Mytour.vn above.
In North America and Europe, VPN service providers must adhere to strict terms. They may leverage and sell your data, but must comply with the general rule of conducting transparent transactions.
Reasons not to use VPN
Conversely, VPN operates without any rules. Free VPNs often come with security vulnerabilities, which create opportunities for attackers and VPN providers to track your data and use it for unlawful purposes.
All your traffic is recorded in your account. In essence, cybercriminals have a complete 'portrait' of your persona within just a few days.
3. Your IP address could become an endpoint
This is also a reason to stop using VPN. A prime example is Hola, once considered the 'king' of free VPNs. Tens of thousands used Hola to access geo-blocked websites before services like Netflix began blocking VPN access.
However, by mid-2015, a group of experts discovered the app was 'turning' users' connections into endpoints. The app used your connection to increase bandwidth and provide a gateway for other users. Additionally, Hola sold your endpoints through a subsidiary named Luminati.
There are two main issues revolving around this matter. Firstly, your IP address will be logged on the server's log. If attackers use your exit node (final server) to carry out illegal activities, it means you'll have to address the issue with the police.
Secondly, any user accessing a website in the country where you reside through your exit node will leave traces of the websites they visit.
Hola's case is a typical example, along with many other free VPN service providers doing similar things that we are unaware of.
The conclusion here is to avoid taking risks by choosing to use free VPNs.
4. Prioritizing Ad Traffic
Even if free VPN providers don't sell your data or turn your connection into endpoints, they still need to make money. Typically, they do so by leveraging ad revenue. It may sound incredulous, but that's how most websites earn money.
However, ads on free VPNs have a crucial difference: VPN providers use third-party exclusive ads to display on your proxy server session. This is because VPN providers want you to click on those ads; ad traffic is prioritized. Many still confuse between Proxy and VPN, but in reality, these two servers have similarities and differences. You can follow the article comparing Proxy and VPN here.
As a result, page loading times are slower, and the online experience suffers.
5. Revealing Your IP Address
Should You Use VPN Networks?
To put it precisely, VPN operates akin to a secret tunnel. All your traffic passes through this tunnel, evading the prying eyes of others, and they cannot discern where this traffic originates.
However, when using free VPNs, there's a high likelihood of 'holes' in the tunnel, and your data, including your IP address, could be 'exposed' through these vulnerabilities. Typically, these vulnerabilities are precisely where attackers tend to 'focus' on.
Some experts suggest that paid VPNs also have vulnerabilities, but they are less common. Just like paying more for construction ensures higher security, the more you pay, the better the tunnel is constructed.
Above, Tai mienphi.vn has just provided 5 reasons why you should stop using VPNs now. Understanding the risks of using free VPNs, hopefully, you can make the right choices to avoid potential incidents caused by the current VPN landscape. If you still opt for a VPN, you should seek out the best VPN lists to ensure connection requirements and security when accessing the internet.
Aside from free VPNs, you still have two other options: subscribing to top-notch paid VPN services or considering using TOR.
