The North West – Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Bury it’s one of the best places to live in the UK.
However, in the online world, borders and counties are not respected and because of this, it is becoming more challenging to retain your privacy and stay safe on the internet.
We’re all accustomed to using the internet while out and about. Whether that’s in our favourite local cafe or while riding the trams or trains.
However, there are lots of online privacy dangers and as such many have taken to using VPN apps to secure their privacy and protect themselves.
You may have heard of a VPN, but you might not know what they are all about.
Maybe you even considered getting one yourself, but you do not know if you really need one?
If these and similar questions trouble your mind, then we have the answers.
Below you’ll discover a few top reasons why you should definitely consider using such services.
1) Protect your privacy
As you may have heard, VPNs were originally created as online privacy tools, and a lot of people still uses them for this sole purpose.
Privacy is not something that most people are getting on the internet in this day and age. Everything is being tracked and recorded on some distant server.
This data is then purchased by advertisers who aim to target you with more relevant ads. The same info is sought out by governments, and even hackers.
With VPN technology, you can protect yourself by shielding your online traffic using encryption, which is enabled within the VPN app settings by default.
Simply launch the VPN app, connect and you will be safe.
Use VPN comparison websites like VPNCompare to check out the different providers making comparing their features easy.
2) Stream more movies and TV shows
Online streaming services are a great way to watch any show, anime, movie, documentary, or anything else that you might be interested in.
However, services like these are not global or like Netflix can differ by country.
While you’re not going to get different content connecting in Manchester as opposed to connecting in Bury, for example, you would if you hopped off to Spain for a few weeks sun.
VPN apps allow you to connect to any country, which in turn often gives you access to their local content.
Want to brush up on your French? Connect to France and watch some French shows. Fan of American comedies? Connect to the United States and so on.
Connecting to any country on the VPN app will change your online location, and make it seem like you are located where the server is. That way, you will be granted access to these geo-restricted services.
3) Catch up with services from home
Another similar use of VPNs is they can let you stream the UK’s content.
Many of the UK’s services are known for only being available while you are in the UK.
Leaving the country will deny you access to them, which can be annoying if you decide to travel overseas but still want to enjoy your local content.
As mentioned, VPNs can help you appear like you are in the UK, no matter where in the world you reside at any given moment.
That way, you can always take a part of your home with you, which can mean a lot if you’re missing the North West or other parts of the country.
It is also beneficial for UK expats which is another thing to keep in mind.
4) Stay safe on public Wi-Fi
If you live on the go and often depend on public hotspots for internet access, you should know that this is a hazardous practice.
Public Wi-Fi is often referred to as a hackers’ hunting ground, and for good reasons.
Whenever you connect to the same network with someone else, they can potentially snoop on your connection and what you’re doing.
This can include anything, from spying to infecting with viruses and other malicious software.
With VPN, however, your traffic will be fully shielded, and they won’t be able to access your device even if you share the same network.
It is the best way to protect yourself from such threats while connected to a random coffee shop’s Wi-Fi, local transport networks, your office or anywhere else that isn’t your home.
5) Stop companies from tracking you online
Online advertisement is enourmous these days, and thanks to the fast life on the internet, advertising firms know that they don’t have your attention for long.
This is why they must target you with the right ads whenever they get the chance, but to do so, they need to know your interests.
This is why collecting and trading data has become a huge thing on the internet, and everyone is tracking everything you do these days.
A VPN allows you to disguise your tracks which makes it harder for advertisers to target you directly.
6) Avoid internet throttling
Doing certain things online, such as downloading something, playing online games, streaming content, and alike, might not always sit well with your internet provider.
If they decide that you are using more bandwidth than you should, they might start reducing your internet speed, which can lead to a lot of complications and annoyances.
Imagine trying to watch a video and continuously having to deal with buffering or downloading a simple file five times longer than usual.
This is called internet throttling, and most of the UK’s internet providers do this to some extent.
A VPN disguises what you’re doing on the internet so they can’t know if you’re watching a film, having a video call or downloading a file.
This, in turn, makes it more difficult for them to reduce your internet speeds for certain tasks.
Summary
There are a lot of issues with the modern-day internet, but it is still a great and wonderful place, filled with interesting content and various possibilities.
Unfortunately, censorship, geo-restrictions, hackers, and other threats and issues are still present as well.
A VPN is definitely a tool you should be using and they’re so easy to use these days that it’s no longer restricted simply to tech-types.
