We know a VPN can help mask your identity as well as hide your location from the internet service providers. But is using a VPN service illegal? Have you ever thought about it?
To some extent, it may sound illegal because you are hiding your identity and gaining access to blocked content. But using a VPN isn't unlawful, and neither it is against the law to hide your location while using the internet.
There are many reasons why people prefer using VPN services rather than proxy servers. The primary reason is that it encrypts all your data traffic and routes through a secure channel to give unrestricted access to any content that otherwise might have been limited to you.
A VPN Protects Your Identity
The first and most common use of a VPN service is to protect your privacy on the internet. As mentioned earlier, VPNs are designed to encrypt all your data that comes and goes from your system.
This also includes the traffic sent by the apps you use on your mobile device. The VPN tunnel acts as a secure connection between you and the website you're trying to access, without letting anyone know what site you're accessing and what information you're exchanging.
So, using a VPN can protect your identity when you visit sensitive websites, such as your bank or any other financial website where you need to log in with credentials.
A VPN Provides You Access to Restricted Content
Using a VPN service also gives you access to content that otherwise would have been blocked or limited because of your geographical location.
Apart from that, some companies may restrict their content to specific locations only. Under such conditions, you can leverage the power of a VPN to gain access to such websites.
You can not only gain access to the content but also see it in its highest quality with the fast servers that most VPNs provide to their users. It will also help you get around ISP speed throttling.
For example, you will be able to see BBC iPlayer if you access it through a UK VPN server. Similarly, US Netflix subscribers have reported the ability to watch the US version of Netflix when connected to a VPN located in the United States.
A Stronger Protection for Your System on the Web
Although VPNs can't protect your system completely, they do offer strong protection against browser-based attacks and malicious websites on the web that try to change settings on your computer or damage it in some way.
As mentioned earlier, it can mask your IP address that helps to prevent the attacker from gaining access to the personal details of your system and browser.
Moreover, VPNs can prevent malware attacks such as phishing and infected links that redirect you to a malicious site, which can cause further damage to your system or steal personal information such as credit card numbers, etc.
Final Words
Using a VPN is completely legal in most countries of the world. Although there might be some countries with special kinds of restrictions, there isn't anything wrong with the use of such services in general.
In fact, using a VPN can be helpful for you in many ways, including providing an extra layer of security. For example, whenever you are using public Wi-Fi at a hotel or a subway, VPN can help you mask your identity. This will help you surf the web safely without the risk of falling prey to website attacks aimed at stealing your credit card information or any other personal details that you may want to keep private.
Last but not least, a VPN can help you access blocked websites and content that otherwise would have been limited only to certain regions.