You should use a reputable VPN service for the very same reason you should install an anti-virus on your computer - to ensure protection. For a VPN, it’s less about protecting your system and more about your personal data protection. We use virus protection to build up the walls that protect your device against bugs and viruses, whereas a VPN is an invisible cloak for your online presence.
Data protection
Keeping your data safe is often priority number one when it comes to installing a VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network. Data encapsulates all of your information including location, name, email addresses, passwords, financial details and communication receipts. This data is private to every internet user, and VPNs ensure it stays that way.
VPN has become a household name in online data protection, but it can enable users additional benefits. One of the selling points of a VPN is that it encrypts a user’s location. While this has immense data protection advantages, it does open some more doors for the service user.
Geo-blocking
When it comes to entertainment, specifically streaming, a VPN can enable users access to geo-blocked content. Geo-blocked content is, simply, content only available in a specific country. For example, the streaming service HBO Max is unavailable in the United Kingdom. With a VPN, the user would be granted the ability to manually change their online location to a country where HBO Max is available.
This function also works for platforms exclusively available in the United Kingdom. Through a VPN, users can go on holiday and still stream their favourite shows and movies on platforms like ITVX and BBC iPlayer. This feature of VPNs offers users accessibility abroad - you won’t have to miss out on consuming the content you love.
As well as the opportunities it opens for accessing regional content, it is easy to see why VPNs have become a staple in modern data protection. It is a service that all internet users should greatly consider owning, even if it is only to keep their minds at ease.
Jack Barrell is our resident VPN expert. He's hands-on when it comes to producing best-of articles, how-to guides, and product reviews for Virtual Private Networks. In his spare time, Jack enjoys cars, festivals and fitness.
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